By William Opalka
NYISO has identified 10 proposed transmission projects as finalists to relieve congestion in western New York.
The ISO issued a report last week in response to a 2015 New York Public Service Commission order that said relieving transmission congestion in the Buffalo area would produce environmental and reliability benefits and satisfy a public policy requirement under FERC Order 1000 (14-E-0454).
The PSC order resulted in the ISO’s first Public Policy Transmission Planning Process, a solicitation that generated 15 proposals from eight developers at the end of last year.
The transmission need was defined in the PSC order and ISO baseline models. They identified overloads on the Niagara-Gardenville 230-kV and 115-kV transmission corridors, which were aggravated by imports from Ontario.
“In general, each project addresses at least some portion of the baseline transmission security issues, but not all projects addressed all of the bulk power transmission security issues,” NYISO wrote. The ISO also says upgrades to three non-bulk transmission facilities may be necessary to satisfy the NYPSC objectives.
The intent of the transmission solution is to allow NYISO to use the maximum 2,700 MW of generation from the Niagara hydroelectric power station and a nearby pumped storage facility, and full access to at least 1,000 MW that would be imported from Ontario in an emergency.
“For each sufficient project, the developer of the project is qualified, the solution is technically practicable and the developer has an approach for acquiring any necessary rights of way, property and facilities,” the report states.
The 10 qualified projects include four from North American Transmission, two from National Grid, one from the New York Power Authority and New York State Electric and Gas, two from NextEra Energy Transmission New York and one from Exelon Transmission.
The PSC will review the assessment made by the ISO and determine if the public policy need still exists. It would then issue an order for NYISO to continue to evaluate and rank the projects identified in the report.
NYISO would then determine which projects are most efficient or cost-effective and eligible for cost allocation and cost recovery under its Tariff. Its findings would be released in the Western New York Public Policy Transmission Planning Report.
The PSC has also determined a public policy need exists to help address transmission congestion into southeastern New York. Proposals from developers were due at the end of April and are currently being evaluated by NYISO. (See NYPSC Directs NYISO to Seek Tx Bids.)