Large scale integration of sustainable energy and congestion management in the Western Interconnection

Large scale sustainable energy like wind and solar energy integration to the bulk grid could introduce inevitable challenges to regional transmission and generation systems. The most important challenges for transmission system are the congestion management and planning for transmission expansion to transfer the zero cost generated electricity. Another big challenge is competition of current fuel based generation units in the electricity market with zero cost sustainable energy. In this dissertation all these challenges identified and analyzed for large scale grid.;This thesis brings a new method used to study transmission congestions in Western Interconnection of the United States. The process involved Security-Constrained Unit Commitment (SCUC) formulation applying its results for analysis of transmission congestion.;This thesis also presents results and findings in simulation of the system operation in the Western Interconnection of the United States with the inclusion of large scale wind and solar energy integration for year 2030. High level of wind and solar energy with the forecasted wind and solar time series profiles were integrated to the Western Interconnection grid. Their impact on different existing types of generation plants is studied. The sensitivity of the fuel prices, wind turbine power output, load volatility and demand side management as well as carbon tax are analyzed in different possible scenarios.;In order to incorporate large scale of sustainable energy into a bulk electricity grid footprint, planned transmission expansion showed need to take place. Transmission expansion reduces grid congestion and balances Locational Marginal Prices (LMP). This thesis explores the advancements in high-performance computing and visual analytics of economic-based transmission expansion in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). This expansion is based on 2018 and 2029 forecasted data. It identifies transmission congestions and average of LMP for each area, and expands the transmission system while accommodating large scale wind and solar energy to achieve the Department of Energy's renewable energy vision for year 2030. An iterative transmission expansion analysis, based on the average LMP for each area, is used to identify the minimum WECC transmission lines required. All results are visualized on the Geographical Information System (GIS) format map of North America.