PJM officials gave the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee a status report Thursday on their analysis of the 26 proposals for correcting stability problems at Artificial Island in South Jersey.

PJM’s first competitive transmission project under FERC Order 1000 attracted proposals from five utilities and three independent developers. The proposals ranged from $116 million to $1.5 billion. (Eight Companies Vie for Artificial Island Project)

PJM’s Mark Sims told the TEAC that PJM planners wouldn’t be judging them on a “pass-fail” system but “don’t have the ability to analyze each one in excruciating detail.”

Sims said planners were conducting short circuit and thermal studies and hoped to have some initial findings at the next TEAC meeting. “We’re looking at projects as proposed” at this stage and not considering modifications to improve them, he added.

Sims also said PJM is seeking an outside engineer to help with the analysis. The consultant will help vet the developers’ cost estimates as well as providing “higher level information” for comparing the proposals, including issues such as line and river crossings.

In response to a question, Steve Herling, PJM vice president of planning, said public policy benefits of the proposals “can only be entertained if those states are on board to pay for those benefits.”

Sharon Segner, of LS Power, said one of her company’s two proposals includes at least $265 million in market efficiency benefits as a potential “tiebreaker” in the evaluations. The proposal, which envisions a new 230 kV line, has an estimated cost of $116 to $148 million.

Artificial Island is the home of the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants in Hancocks Bridge N.J.