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BPA Targets Two Transmission Projects for In-depth Look at Non-Wire Alternatives
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) announced last month that the agency will consider non-wire alternatives to ease congested transmission corridors. BPA will evaluate on-site (distributed generation), load management and targeted energy efficiency measures as alternatives to building new lines in nine proposed transmission projects.
The agency has already selected two demonstration projects to study strategic alternatives to transmission line construction. Small-scale new generation, enhanced efficiency or curtailed consumption during times of peak demand (load management) can preclude the need for expensive, and often controversial, new power lines.
The two projects, in Washington , a transformer and line addition planned for Shelton and a new 500-kilovolt line for Monroe are both proposed to start in 2005, which gives BPA plenty of time to evaluate alternatives. "There may be ways to avoid building wires by more strategic siting of plants, distributed generation, load management and conservation," said Tom Foley , a regional energy economist and former staff of the Northwest Power Planning Council . BPA's Transmission Business Line (TBL) hopes to have a full evaluation of non-wires alternatives for these two projects this fall.
The TBL identified a total of 20 proposed transmission construction projects as high priorities for BPA during the next five years. These areas of the region's power grid pose congestion and reliability problems now or in the near future. BPA will conduct the non-wires evaluation on the nine projects expected to begin after 2005. According to BPA, eleven of the 20 transmission projects start too soon (prior to 2005) to accommodate non-wires options. The agency fears it will not have enough time to study and implement the alternatives before the identified trouble spots become acute.
BPA adopted recommendations to examine lower-cost, reliable alternatives to transmission upgrades after reviewing a recent study, "Expansion of BPA Transmission Planning Capabilities ," authored by Foley, San Francisco-based Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. and electric industry consultant Eric Hirst from Tennessee. "It's very encouraging that the recommendation starts from the premise that wires and non-wires options be evaluated on an equal basis," said NW Energy Coalition senior policy associate Steven Weiss . "Putting them on a level playing field is an extreme departure from current transmission planning methods, where non-wire alternatives are considered last as part of the environmental review process."
In addition to evaluating non-wires alternatives, the study also recommended BPA initiate a continuing long-term review of its transmission system, analyzing its potential transmission needs 10 years into the future. In response, TBL is expanding its public information efforts to increase regional input and cooperation, allowing more people to get involved in transmission planning. BPA's highly-respected public involvement specialist, Carolyn Whitney , moved from the agency's Power Business Line to the TBL to head up the effort.
BPA will consider distributing and inviting comment on the agency's biennial system-wide reports, which describe the expected use of transmission facilities, potential future congestion points and congestion management tools. The reports also detail the costs and benefits of planned new generation and other activities that would affect transmission prices over the upcoming 10-year period. BPA may also establish a transmission advisory committee of regional stakeholders to advise TBL on an ongoing basis.
— Nancy Hirsh