The Western Transmission Expansion Coalition will develop a West-wide transmission study that can be used to guide interregional transmission development across the region, WestTEC said Thursday.
WestTEC aims to draft an “actionable” transmission study based on transmission portfolios that bolster Western reliability while considering economic efficiencies and state policy goals, according to a study plan that was unanimously approved last week.
“WestTEC responds to a widely recognized concern that current transmission planning frameworks in the West do not result in the identification of sufficient transmission solutions to support the needs of the future grid and that interregional transmission planning can be strengthened,” the organization said in the study plan.
The effort is being coordinated by the Western Power Pool in partnership with the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. The WestTEC steering committee includes officials from utilities such as Arizona Public Service, Idaho Power, NV Energy, Public Service Co. of New Mexico and Xcel Energy. Other members include the Bonneville Power Administration, the California Independent System Operator and the Southwest Power Pool.
The voluntary initiative aims to develop interregional and interstate transmission portfolios across the West on 10- and 20-year timeframes.
The transmission plan will be based on a generation mix that meets state policy requirements, reflects clean energy goals and accounts for voluntary clean energy procurement, according to the study plan.
It will include regional-level information about transmission benefits that could be used to support cost allocation discussions for transmission projects or portfolios of projects, according to the study plan.
“We’ve detailed a process for the study that will lead to a credible outcome so decision-makers can have a high degree of confidence in the results,” said Jennifer Galaway, senior manager of regional transmission development and interconnection services at Portland General Electric and co-chair of the WestTEC Assessment and Technical Taskforce.
Once finished, the transmission plan could be used in local or regional planning processes where coordinated transmission solutions are needed, according to the study plan. It could also initiate bilateral negotiations and development activity by transmission developers or utilities seeking to propose transmission projects or refine existing transmission development plans, the study plan said.
WestTEC has started the 10-year horizon study and expects to finish it by September 2025. It will begin the 20-year study phase in spring of 2026. WestTEC plans to release the full report in early 2027.
