By Suzanne Herel

PJM planners won’t be ready after all to recommend a stability fix for New Jersey’s Artificial Island in time for the Board of Managers’ regular meeting in February.

The winner of a contentious battle among four project applicants was expected to be announced at a special Jan. 25 meeting of the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee.

But at the TEAC meeting last week, Paul McGlynn, general manager of system planning, said staff is working with consultants and industry experts to further study aspects of the proposals for the island, home to the Salem-Hope Creek nuclear complex.

“We have a consultant who’s been looking at sub-synchronous resonance issues for us,” he said, referring to a piece of Dominion Resources’ plan to combine thyristor-controlled series compensation (TCSC) technology with static VAR compensators (SVCs) to ensure stability.

The model was roundly criticized by Dominion’s competitors: LS Power, Transource and Public Service Electric & Gas.

PSE&G’s sister company, PSEG Nuclear, which operates the nuclear plants, last month called on PJM’s Board of Managers to reject using what it called unproven technology.

The company warned that such a system could result in damage to turbine generator shafts and widespread outages. (See PSEG Nuclear Calls on PJM Board to Block ‘Risky’ Artificial Island Fix.)

McGlynn said staff also is looking at the impact of installing fiber optic ground wire for shorter clearing times. That might reduce the size of the SVC, or supplant the need for one at all.

“We’ve actually got a lot of work going on,” said Steve Herling, vice president of planning.

After the meeting, Herling said he expected to have a recommendation ready to present to the TEAC next month. Discussions are underway to call a special meeting of the Board of Managers in March.

All of the potential solutions involve new transmission lines connecting Artificial Island to Delaware. LS Power and Transource have proposed a southern crossing of the Delaware River. Dominion and PSE&G offered a northern route with an overhead crossing. McGlynn has said that either path is expected to face permitting challenges.

LS Power’s proposal includes both overhead and submarine options for the river crossing, each of which would carry a binding cost cap of $146 million.

Transource has emphasized its 50-50 partnership with Pepco Holdings Inc. and said its submarine proposal will have the easiest time obtaining permitting.

Ronnie Bailey, manager of transmission planning for Dominion, stressed among his proposal’s advantages a 36- to 48-month turnaround time.

PJM planners had recommended PSE&G’s selection for the project but re-engaged the other three companies after being widely criticized this summer by environmentalists, New Jersey officials and spurned bidders. (See PJM Puts the Brakes on Artificial Island Selection.)

In an interview last week, Herling said none of the contestants had threatened a lawsuit, and that the delay was simply the result of PJM wanting to conduct a thorough review.

The project is PJM’s first under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order 1000, which opens up transmission line projects to non-incumbent companies.