Design of resource to backbone transmission for a high wind penetration future

Abstract

<p>In a high wind penetration future, transmission must be designed to integrate groups of new wind farms with a high capacity inter-regional ``backbone" transmission system. A design process is described which begins by identifying feasible sites for future wind farms, identifies an optimal set of those wind farms for a specified future, and designs a reliable low-cost ``resource to backbone" collector transmission network to connect each individual wind farm to the backbone transmission network. A model of the transmission and generation system in the state of Iowa is used to test these methods, and to make observations about the nature of these resource to backbone networks.</p>