NYISO to Host Forum on Transmission Congestion Study

RENSSELAER, NY (12/03/2013)(readMedia)-- On December 17, 2013, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) will host a forum to present the results of its most recent Congestion Assessment and Resource Integration Study (CARIS). The forum will be held from 10 a.m. until noon at the Peter A.A. Berle Conference Center of the NYISO's corporate headquarters in Rensselaer.

The CARIS study is an economic analysis of transmission congestion on the New York state bulk power system and the potential costs and benefits of relieving transmission congestion. Approved by the NYISO Board of Directors in November, the study was developed as part of the NYISO's comprehensive planning process with defined assumptions and procedures and with extensive stakeholder input.

Transmission congestion results from physical limits on how much power the New York electric grid can reliably transfer. Congestion adds to the costs of electricity by limiting the ability of lower-cost power to be transmitted to consumers. Solutions to congestion may include building or upgrading transmission lines and related facilities, building less expensive power generation next to the load or employing measures to reduce demand for electricity in the congested area.

The study identified the most congested parts of the New York state bulk power system based upon historic data as well as estimates of future congestion. Those areas include all or parts of the high-voltage transmission path from Oneida County through the Capital Region and south to the Lower Hudson Valley. The CARIS process analyzed generic transmission, generation and demand response solutions in these regions that could ultimately yield savings for power consumers.

The 2013 CARIS study projects lower levels of congestion than prior studies due to the extended operation of a Special Protection System (SPS) at a 1,080-megawatt power plant in the town of Athens, 30 miles south of Albany. The SPS equipment was installed on a short-term basis to allow bottled generation to be dispatched. The temporary solution will cease operation when permanent transmission additions or upgrades are built. Any evaluation of the economic benefits of proposed long-term transmission enhancements should take into account the short-term impact of the Athens SPS.

During the next phase of the CARIS process, developers are invited to propose specific transmission projects to address congestion on the New York bulk power system. The NYISO will perform a benefit/cost analysis for each specific proposed transmission project to assess eligibility for regulated cost recovery.

The full CARIS report and appendices are available for download from the NYISO website, www.nyiso.com.

The CARIS public forum is free of charge, however, space is limited. Registration must be received by December 13 to participate in person. The proceedings also will be available via the Web. Interested attendees can register online by clicking the "RSVP here" link on the NYISO Committee Calendar located http://www.nyiso.com/public/committees/calendar/index.jsp.