Optimal utilization and planning of modernized electricity transmission grids

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Consistent with national and global trends, Alberta's power sector is set to transform. The coal generation fleet is planned to retire by 2030 and there is a growing market and interest to produce a large share of Alberta's electricity from clean resources. The additional clean electricity is expected to be mostly supplied through (i), transmission-connected wind and solar generators, and (ii), renewable distribution-connected generators- for example, rooftop solar energy generators. Additionally, integration of various forms of on-site, behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DER) into power distribution networks across the province is growing. These changes disrupt the patterns of energy flow across the grid and introduce unprecedented uncertainty in both supply- and demand-side of the electricity systems, making grid planning more challenging than ever. This partnership is the continuation of a successfully concluded collaborative research program between Dr. Zareipour and the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO). This research will design new methods and tools for flexibly enhancing the process of optimal transmission system utilization and planning by considering more planning factors and future scenarios than existing methods while rendering solutions at a reasonable computation time. This research topic is important because its potential outcomes will, in the short-term, enable the industry enhance their planning processes while saving the often prohibitively expensive engineering time and resources. In the longer term, and as the power sector transforms and new challenges emerge, the outcomes of this proactive partnership would position the industry to directly save ratepayers both economically and socially through smarter, cost-effective grid investments. From a broader national interest perspective, the outcomes of the research will support maintaining a reliable, affordable, and progressively clean electricity system. This will in turn help maintain the competitive advantage of the Canadian economy and supports Canada in reaching its international emission reduction commitments.