EPRI's Integrated Strategic System Planning (ISSP) Initiative developed a new framework and analytical toolbox for more comprehensively planning across generation, transmission, distribution, and end-use systems, and realizing cost-effective and reliable low-carbon electric power systems. The overall framework consists of a series of soft-linked power system modeling tools, including (1) an economic energy-systems planning model to develop regional technology pathways; (2) a detailed, nodal generation and transmission capacity expansion planning model to develop system-level resource expansion portfolios; (3) a series of grid operations simulation models to evaluate resource adequacy and system risk; and (4) distribution planning tools to assess potential distribution network upgrades and non-wires alternatives.
The research presented in this report focuses on the modeling linking efforts between tools identified in (1), (2), and a portion of (3) above. The motivation for this work is that cost-effective, low-carbon electricity transition planning requires analytical tools and processes that consider key policy, technology, and market impacts across broad, interconnected power systems; as well as critical grid operations and reliability needs given higher levels of variable renewable energy, distributed energy resources, and storage assets. And simply, existing long-term planning modeling tools do not adequately meet both requirements.
Focusing on the bulk power system, this research leverages and links a zonal economic energy-systems planning model, a nodal unit-level capacity expansion planning model, and resource adequacy and production cost models for planning low-carbon and high-renewable long-term resource portfolios that are robust to potential future reliability and resource adequacy deficiencies.
Authors Nidhi R. Santen, Anish Gaikwad, Devin Van Zandt, Naga Srujana Goteti, Phil de Mello, Miguel Ortega-Vazquez, Parag Mitra, Greg Adams, Matt Rylander