REGIONAL PLANNING

The WestConnect Regional Transmission Planning Cycle (planning cycle) is biennial. The biennial cycle commences in even numbered years, resulting in the development of a Regional Transmission Plan every other year.

During the biennial planning cycle, WestConnect will establish the region’s reliability, economic, and public policy transmission needs. WestConnect will solicit alternatives (transmission or non-transmission alternatives (NTAs)) from WestConnect members and stakeholders to meet the regional needs. WestConnect will evaluate the alternatives submitted to or developed by WestConnect to determine which alternatives meet the region’s needs more efficiently or cost effectively, and will identify those alternatives in the WestConnect Regional Transmission Plan. Those identified alternatives that were submitted for the purposes of cost allocation may go through the cost allocation process if they pass the cost/benefit thresholds established for the relevant category of project (reliability, economic, public policy) and if they are further determined to be eligible for regional cost allocation.

Additional details of the WestConnect Regional Transmission Planning Process can be reviewed in the WestConnect Regional Planning Process Business Practice Manual.

Process Status

• Study Plan: Complete (.pdf)
• Model Development: Complete
    - WestConnect 2016-17 Model Development Report - 10-18-2016 (.pdf)
• Identify Regional Needs: Complete
    - Regional Needs Assessment Report (.pdf)
    - No regional reliability, economic, or public policy-driven transmission needs have
      been identified in the 2016-17 planning cycle.
• Issue Regional Transmission Plan: Complete
  -  2016-17 Regional Transmission Plan - Final (.pdf)

Regional Planning Timeline