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
• Model Development: Complete
• Identify Regional Needs: Complete
• Evaluate & Identify Alternatives: NA
• Allocate Costs: NA
• Draft Regional Plan: Complete
  

Regional Planning Timeline

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Study Plan

• Draft 2020-21 Regional Study Plan (.pdf)
• Final 2020-21 Regional Study Plan (.pdf)
  

Model Development

• The 2030 Regional Planning models were approved by the WestConnect PMC on December 16th.
• WestConnect 2020-21 Model Development Report (.pdf)

Identify Regional Needs    

• On December 16th the WestConnect PMC approved the conclusion that no regional transmission needs are identified in the 2020-21 Regional Transmission Needs Assessment. As such, a regional project submittal window will not open for this planning cycle.
•  WestConnect 2020-21 Regional Transmission Needs Assessment Report (.pdf)

Project / NTA Submittal Window

• A project submittal window will not be opened for the 2020-21 regional planning cycle because no regional needs were identified in the Regional Needs Assessment.

Evaluate and Identify Alternatives

• Not applicable to this planning cycle because no regional transmission needs were identified”.

Allocate Costs

• Not applicable to this planning cycle because no regional transmission needs were identified”.

Regional Transmission Plan

• WestConnect 2020-21 Regional Transmission Plan Report (.pdf)