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Next Generation Transmission Expansion Planning Framework: Models, Tools,

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DOI: 10.1109/TPWRS.2014.2317590

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Next Generation Transmission Expansion
Planning Framework: Models, Tools, and
Educational Opportunities
Jaime Quintero, Member, IEEE, Hui Zhang, Student Member, IEEE, Yacine Chakhchoukh, Member,
IEEE, Vijay Vittal, Fellow, IEEE, and Gerald Heydt, Life Fellow, IEEE
 in 2020. Similarly, many other countries also have their own
Abstract— This paper presents a discussion of the contempo-
rary transmission expansion planning (TEP) framework focusing
on educational opportunities and curriculum development. An
analysis of the mathematical models and fundamental concepts, as
well as available software tools and necessary skills for
state-of-the-art TEP projects is presented based on research and
academic experiences. A guide to TEP curriculum development
for power engineering programs is proposed including materials
at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Index Terms— Power engineering education, power system
security, power system stability, power system planning, static
limits, dynamic stability, Western Interconnection.
I. INTRODUCTION
T HE national push for a resilient grid and the increasing
penetration of renewable energy resources has significantly
influenced the operation and planning of power systems.
The future power grid is expected to be a resilient network that
is flexible and robust enough to withstand various uncertainties
and disturbances. According to the 10-year planning summary
[1] prepared by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council
(WECC), loads are projected to increase by 14% from 2009 to
2020, resulting in a 1.2% compounded annual growth rate.
From the generation perspective, the future generation mix is
expected to be significantly different from the past because new
generation additions are expected to be dominated by renewa-
ble resources to fulfill state-mandated renewable portfolio
standard (RPS). By the year 2020, a total amount of 15 GW of
conventional units are going to be retired and 59 GW of addi-
tional generation will be added in the U.S. Western Intercon-
nection, of which over 50% is composed of wind and solar PV.
In addition, the U.S. Western Interconnection is projected to
generate 17% of its energy from non-hydro renewable sources
This work is supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy funded project
denominated “Regional Transmission Expansion Planning in the Western
Interconnection” under contract DOE-FOA0000068. This is a project under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
J. Quintero was with the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy
Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA. He is now with
Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cali, Colombia (e-mail: jai-
me.quintero.1@asu.edu)
H. Zhang is with California ISO, Folsom, CA (e-mail: hui.zhang@asu.edu).
Y. Chakhchoukh was with the Department of Electrical, Computer and
Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA. He is
now with TokyoTech, Japan (e-mail: ychakhch@asu.edu)
V. Vittal, and G. T. Heydt are with the Department of Electrical, Computer
and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
(e-mail: vvittal1@asu.edu, heydt@asu.edu).
1
RPS or are on their way to implementing such a plan [2]. With
these projected changes, several technical challenges arise in
operating and planning future power systems. First, the load
increase will alter the power flow patterns in the existing grid
and may result in potential reliability violations such as over-
loads and stability issues. Second, newly built renewable power
plants need to be carefully connected to the bulk power system
because the location and the voltage level of the interconnec-
tion point could affect the system reliability significantly [3]. A
common solution to the challenges mentioned above is to add
additional transmission capacity to the existing power grid,
which makes transmission expansion planning (TEP) critical.
Traditionally, the TEP exercise focused on improving the
reliability and security of the power system in the era when
economic impacts were less of a primary concern. The con-
temporary deregulated electricity market and the increasing
penetration of renewable resources present new challenges to
the traditional TEP process in terms of the system economic
impacts and resiliency to uncertainties [4]-[5]. Nevertheless,
the reliability of the system is always an important component
of the TEP process. The North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC) has developed detailed transmission
planning standards [6] for both steady state and transient stud-
ies. Recent efforts have led to the inclusion of security con-
straints within the optimization problem [7]-[8]. However, due
to modeling simplifications in the TEP algorithms, impacts of
the proposed transmission expansion solutions on the security
of the system need to be revalidated by a comprehensive re-
gion-wide plan using accurate static and dynamic models.
Therefore, the envisioned TEP process requires a compre-
hensive analysis including policies, markets, uncertainties and
security of the system. This process is expected to be time
intensive and will involve inter-disciplinary expertise. To
facilitate the transition, it is important to identify the needs and
challenges in the contemporary power engineering curricula
offered at universities to meet the needs of qualified power
system engineers involved in the next generation TEP process.
Based on research and teaching experiences, this paper
presents the current and future challenges and solutions for
transmission planning engineers from an educational and
training perspective. Considering the fundamental principles,
the mathematical models and the computational tools used in
today’s regional TEP processes, necessary engineering skills
and educational opportunities are identified. It is proposed that
these subjects be fully integrated into the senior year under-
graduate and graduate power engineering education syllabi.

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: Section
II presents the contemporary TEP process framework from an
economic perspective. Section III describes the mathematical
models and the principles that support the TEP process. A
discussion on the available software tools and practical skills
necessary for the transmission planning engineer is presented in
Section IV. Section V describes the experience in the incor-
poration of some of the discussed topics, in a transmission
operation and planning course. Section VI is a guide for cur-
riculum implementation of the skills and topics presented.
Finally, concluding remarks are presented in Section VII.
II. NEXT GENERATION TEP FRAMEWORK
The goal of the contemporary TEP exercise is to improve the
overall market efficiency and simultaneously enhance system
reliability. In order to balance the economics and the reliability,
it is crucial to identify the correct set of transmission lines to be
added. Beyond the traditional power flow and contingency
analysis, the TEP process is under transition to a comprehen-
sive decision-making process in which the value of the trans-
mission projects needs to be accurately evaluated based on
resource forecasts.
The traditional TEP approach focused on protecting the
system from the “worst case” scenario. In other words, the
transmission network is designed to protect against the worst
contingency at the peak load level. This approach was based on
the assumption that if a system survived the worst contingency,
the system would be robust enough to survive any other con-
tingency. While this assumption might be valid in some cases,
the worst case-based TEP approach is not suited for contem-
porary power systems. The reasons are twofold: First, some
critical contingencies are very unlikely to occur; protecting
against these contingencies by building more transmission lines
is not economical. Instead, remedial action schemes (RASs) are
usually designed to mitigate the impact of these contingencies
by sequentially opening a set of lines or even tripping genera-
tion or loads. Second, the massive installation of renewable
resources and the deepening of deregulated electricity markets
have brought increasing uncertainties to the power grid. These
factors make the “worst case” difficult to identify because it
may not always occur at peak load level. In addition, the system
operating costs are also subject to randomness. Prices of dif-
ferent resources such as gas and coal are unclear in the future.
Inflation and possible delays in completion can affect the
estimated benefits as well. All these factors make an exact
transmission expansion planning process, without considering
uncertainties, unrealistic. Thus, considering uncertainties in
deciding transmission expansion investments is critical.
With the above factors considered, the proposed framework
for next generation TEP is shown in Fig. 1. The framework can
be categorized into four stages as described in the dotted boxes.
In order to develop a planning base case in the first stage, one
can consider the operational case of the current year, adjust the
load level according to the forecast of the load growth, remove
the generators to be retired and add the generators to be in-
stalled in the targeted planning year. Federal policy require-
ments, e.g., RPS, and stakeholders’ inputs are also taken into
consideration at this stage. Thus, a reference planning base case
is created to represent the “standard” future.
Due to the potential load increase, it is normal to observe
some overloads in this reference case and identify where
transmission expansion is needed. The base case development
2
is crucial in the TEP process because it serves as a basis for the
entire planning framework. After the base case is developed,
different scenarios are derived in the next stage based on
stakeholders’ inputs with the parameters in the base case ad-
justed to different values. Typical alternative scenarios include
combination of variations in loads, energy costs, as well as the
generation mix. The candidate lines together with the scenarios
serve as inputs to the next stage of network optimization. The
network optimization is the core of the entire TEP framework.
Traditionally, due to the lack of efficient algorithms, this
step was usually conducted using a trial and error approach.
That is, the value of the expansion projects were evaluated by
running production cost models with different sets of new lines.
However, this approach is by nature a heuristic approach and is
only feasible when the candidate line pool is small. As the
number of candidate lines increases, the computational burden
can easily become intractable. With the development of ad-
vanced optimization algorithms, the trend of the next genera-
tion TEP exercise will include production cost analysis based
on a mixed-integer programming formulation, which simulta-
neously optimizes the network expansions and economic dis-
patch. After the network is optimized for each of the scenarios,
transmission lines that appear in most scenarios are viewed as
projects with high value and added to the base case.
In the final stage, the adequacy and security (static and dy-
namic stability) of the expanded system should be evaluated
using complete static and dynamic system models with the
expectation to identify possible sub-regional reinforcement.
Candidate
lines
Stakeholders’
input
Network Plan
Base case Scenarios Optimization verification
analysis
Resources
forecast
Final Plan
Base case Scenario Network
optimization
Plan
Verification
development analysis
Fig. 1 Next generation transmission expansion planning process
III. MATHEMATICAL MODELS
The TEP practice generally consists of two stages: grid op-
timization and reliability validation. In grid optimization, the
TEP model can be viewed as an extension of the optimal power
flow (OPF) problem. The TEP and OPF problems share a
common basis in the sense that they are both constrained op-
timization problems. The main difference, however, is that the
TEP problem optimizes the network topology based on the
economic dispatch. In the grid optimization stage, binary var-
iables are used to determine the status of potential transmission
lines and make the TEP formulation “mixed-integer” in nature.
In order to obtain an efficient solution, the linearized power
flow model (i.e., the direct current (DC) model) and its varia-
tions are extensively used in the TEP grid optimization model.
For impartial transmission planning organizations such as
independent system operators (ISOs), the commonly used
objective function is to jointly minimize the investment cost
and the operating cost over a time horizon. A high-level TEP
model usually has the following form,

min cT z  Q(x) (1a)
subject to
h ( x)  c (1b)
g ( x)  b (1c)
xmin
xx max
. (1d)
In the above model, a bold face lower case font refers to vec-
tors. The first term in the objective function represents the
capital cost of the line investments, where z is a binary decision
variable indicating whether a particular line is chosen. The
second term represents the operating cost, which can be eval-
uated as the total operating costs over a certain time horizon as
shown in (2). The total operating costs is represented as the
summation of multiple scenarios with respect to different load
levels. Typically, these costs are discounted to the present
dollar value when the planning decision is made,
Q( x )   Q( x ) .
sS
s
(2)
The equality constraints (1b) represent the nodal power balance
equations. The inequality constraints (1c) represent the branch
flow limit. The bounds on variables (1d) include upper and
lower limits on bus voltage magnitudes and angles as well as
the generator outputs. As mentioned above, the TEP grid op-
timization model can be formulated as a mixed-integer linear
programming problem and solved by commercial solvers.
In the reliability validation stage, both the static and dy-
namic security of the power system needs to be carefully
evaluated. Static voltage limits as known in nonlinear system
theory are critical points. In a conservative system described in
(3), critical points are defined as points where transition from
stability to instability occurs along a static equilibrium path, as
shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. A static critical point
Traditionally in power systems, static path and voltage lim-
its are determined by the convergence of a power flow solution
with selected load and generation scenarios,
𝐡(𝐱) + 𝜇 = 0, 𝐱 ∈ ℝ. (3)
Additionally, stability in the sense of Lyapunov is the funda-
mental concept for understanding dynamic stability. Consid-
ering the autonomous system [9],
𝐱̇ = 𝐟(𝐱), 𝐱(𝑡0 ) = 𝐱 0 (4)
the equilibrium point 𝐱 0 is stable if for each 𝜀 > 0, there is 𝛿 >
0, 𝛿 ≤ 𝜀 such that,
‖𝐱(𝑡0 ) − 𝐱 0 ‖ < 𝛿 ⇒ ‖𝐱(𝑡) − 𝐱 0 ‖ < 𝜀, ∀𝑡 ≥ 𝑡0 (5)
The equilibrium point is asymptotically stable if, it is stable and
𝛿 can be chosen, such that,
3
‖𝐱(𝑡0 ) − 𝐱 0 ‖ < 𝛿 ⇒ 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝐱(𝑡) = 𝐱 0 (6)
𝑡→∞
Lyapunov’s first method shows that the stability of a linearized
system around the equilibrium point 𝐱 0 of the form,
𝐱̇ = 𝐀𝐱, ∀𝑡 ≥ 0 (7)
can be estimated by calculating the eigenvalues of the Jacobian
matrix 𝐀. Also, obtaining the eigenvectors and participation
factors associated with the eigenvalues of 𝐀 provide useful
information for the small signal stability assessment of the
system. On the other hand, nonlinear system concepts such as
phase portraits, system mapping, regions of attraction, and
bifurcation theory together with asymptotic stability in the
sense of Lyapunov are key tools for the understanding and
assessment of transient stability.
In order to introduce stability phenomena and analytical
tools to students, the use of reduced scale power systems
models in the classroom demonstration and course projects is a
common practice. In this way, the ideas of static critical points,
Lyapunov stability and bifurcation theory can be clearly ob-
served. On the other hand, the regional security assessment of
contemporary and planned power systems involves accurate
static and dynamic modeling of a large number and a wide
variety of interacting devices with significant nonlinearities.
The size and the complexity of the system response can make it
extremely difficult to obtain stability limits and recognize
trends. While reduced order test bed cases used in the academic
environment normally preserve principal characteristics of the
original large-scale systems, working with detailed models of
realistic systems with the inherent increase of system variables,
uncertainty, interrelations and nonlinearities requires additional
skills. Furthermore, the increasing penetration of converter
control based renewable generators (CCBGs) such as wind and
photovoltaic generators as well as the retirement of conven-
tional synchronous generators introduce new challenges in the
behavior of bulk power systems that may only be observed by
the detailed modeling and simulation of the entire system.
IV. AVAILABLE SOFTWARE TOOLS
Many software tools are available to facilitate analytical
studies in power system engineering. In order to perform a
systematic planning study, two types of software tools are
usually required. The first type of tools is used to perform
power system studies including power flow, contingency, as
well as stability analysis. The commonly used commercial
software tools and their functionalities are summarized in Table
I. Students should become familiar with one or more of these
tools in order to perform the power system studies shown in
Table I.
TABLE I AVAILABLE SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Tools Name PF OPF Contingency TS SS VS
DSATools √ √ √ √ √
PowerWorld √ √* √ √ √
Neplan √ √ √ √ √ √
PSLF √ √ √ √
PSS/E √ √ √ √ √ √
PSAT √ √ √ √ √ √
MatPower √ √
*Direct current optimal power flow (DCOPF) and a linearized alternating
current optimal power flow (ACOPF)

The DSATools package [10] consists of four modules for
power flow (PF), transient stability (TS), small signal stability
(SS) and static voltage stability (VS) analysis respectively.
PSS/E [11] and PSLF [12] are two of the most widely used
tools in Eastern and Western North America respectively. With
add-ons, PSS/E is able to perform all the studies listed in Table
I. PowerWorld [13] is an emerging software package. It was
widely adopted in the classroom for educational purpose thanks
to its powerful visualization functions. Now, with more func-
tions added, PowerWorld has been widely acknowledged in the
power industry. Neplan [14], from Switzerland, with a very
user-friendly graphical interface and integration with C/C++
and MATLAB is popular in Europe and Latin America and is
suitable for academic purposes. A complete version of this
package is offered to universities at a reduced price. However,
if budget is a concern, power system analysis toolbox (PSAT)
[15] and MatPower [16] are two free MATLAB-based open
source tools. PSAT offers a wide range of functionalities in-
cluding static power flow and stability analysis with a us-
er-friendly interface. MatPower is a powerful tool for solving
power flow and OPF problems. These two tools also provide
excellent flexibility to utilize other open source software to
solve many user-defined problems.
The second type of tools performs planning studies. Their
functionality includes security-constrained economic dispatch
(SCED), security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC),
transmission expansion planning (TEP) as well as generation
expansion planning (GEP). Table II provides a list of planning
tools that are commonly used in the industry. GridView [19],
PROMOD [20] and UPLAN [21] are used for production cost
analysis up to 8760-hour a year. For SCED analysis, UPLAN
supports both the direct current (DC) and the alternating current
(AC) power flow model. PLEXOS [22] uses mixed-integer
based models to perform transmission and generation expan-
sion planning studies. PSR Net-Plan [23] is an integrated
computational environment for transmissions analysis and
expansion studies. Its module OptNet is specifically designed
for TEP analysis. These software packages are widely used in
today’s power industry in the U.S. and offer similar function-
alities. Exposure to these tools will help prepare the students to
readily work for power utilities as a transmission planning
engineer. Most of these software packages offer academic
licenses at no cost or at a significantly lower cost. University
educators should take advantage of this option. Notice that
although academic licenses are usually good for class demon-
stration purpose, they may have limited functionality and
problem size restrictions.
TABLE II AVAILABLE SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR PLANNING STUDIES
Tool Name SCED SCUC TEP GEP
GridView √(DC1) √
PROMOD √(DC) √
UPLAN √(DC/AC2) √
PSR Net-Plan √(DC) √
PLEXOS √(DC) √ √ √ sidered in this study. Before running the simulations, the base
1
The DC power flow model is used in economic dispatch
2
The DC or the AC power flow model is used in economic dispatch
Experience in an educational environment shows that it is
highly desirable to have a dedicated power engineering com-
puting laboratory, where students are able to run the power
systems studies described in Tables I and II. Moreover, gradu-
ate students are expected to be able to run commercial versions
4
of the programs with real-world case data, developing addi-
tional skills such as data management, and an in depth under-
standing of the complexities associated with large power sys-
tems. Some of these complexities are highlighted next in the
case example.
Both modeling languages and general high-level languages
can be used to formulate the TEP problem. Modeling languages
such as AMPL [24], GAMS [25] and AIMMS [26] are tools
designed to formulate large and complex optimization models
conveniently. Through these languages, users can “describe”
the optimization problem by specifying the objective function
and constraints; the language will then “translate” the problem
into a matrix form and pass it to solvers. However, most of
these languages are not free. If budget is a concern, languages
such as C/C++, JAVA, Python and MATLAB can also be used
to formulate the problem. The advantage of using these lan-
guages is that they are easy to access; however, users are re-
sponsible for formulating the problem in a matrix form, which
could be challenging for large problems.
Depending on the nature of the problem, different solvers
can be used. The commonly used commercial solvers include
CPLEX [17], Gurobi [18], XPRESS [27] and Knitro (nonlinear
solver) [28], all of them offer free academic licenses. Apart
from the commercial solvers, free solvers such as CBC [29],
SCIP [30], and IPOPT [31] are also available. NEOS server
[32] offers a free Internet-based service for solving optimiza-
tion problems, on which the solvers available represent the
state-of-the-art in optimization software.
When considering uncertainties and forecasting, program-
ming the specific statistical methods in practical software is
very important to derive industrial prototypes and products.
Sophisticated software tools popular among statisticians such
as R (CRAN) [33] should be used by students. The R software
has the advantage of being compatible with MATLAB. A large
spectrum of statistical methods are already programmed in R
and available online free of charge. Packages related to time
series analysis and forecasting, regression analysis and proba-
bility distribution estimation are readily available and updated
on a current basis. The available programs can be accessed,
manipulated and advanced. The MATLAB statistics and signal
processing toolboxes are also very useful.
Security Assessment of a Bulk Power System: A Case Study
This case study aims to exemplify some challenges in the
security assessment for contemporary bulk power systems and
to highlight fundamental principles and practical skills that are
necessary for analyzing real-world problems. The base case is
developed based on a real world planning case with approxi-
mately 20,000 buses, more than 4,000 generators and a load
level that varies from 120,270 MVA in a lightly loaded scenario
to 176,410 MVA in a heavily loaded scenario. The renewables
penetration is approximately 6% of the total on-line generation
in the heavily loaded scenario and 15% in the lightly loaded
scenario. In order to focus on the security of the bulk trans-
mission system, only the buses at 115 kV and above are con-
case is carefully tuned to ensure that the voltage magnitudes of
all studied buses and branch power flows are within their steady
state limits. The tuning procedure also needs to make sure that
the swing bus of each area is operating within its capacity limit.
In this study, both static and dynamic security analyses are
performed to assess the reliability of the base case. For static
security analysis, the steady state analysis tools in PSLF
 5

(SSTOOLS) [12] and the voltage security assessment tool In bulk power systems, the number of contingencies for
(VSAT) in DSATools [10] are used. Both tools run power flow transient stability analysis should be limited to a practical
calculations for pre-contingency and N – 1 contingency condi- number because even with the batch processing tools like
tions, detecting voltage and flow violations determined by DYTOOLS from PSLF, the time and resources needed to run a
nominal values and in accordance with NERC reliability large amount of contingencies is still prohibitive. Two criteria
standards [6]. The VSAT also has the ability to estimate static that provide credible information of potential weaknesses in the
voltage stability limits. Both tools can generate results in Mi- system are the SCCs identified in the static security assessment
crosoft Excel sheets, including all violations identified in and those contingencies that historically have set the capacity
pre-contingency and post-contingency conditions for analysis. limits of certain path ratings in terms of stability issues [35].
For a real world planning base case with this size, it is ex-
pected that many unsolved contingency cases will be observed V. EXPERIENCE WITH CLASSROOM OFFERINGS
in the results. Most of the non-converging cases can be solved
Some of the concepts and the use of the software cited were
manually by ‘tuning’ the power flow solution parameters (i.e.,
incorporated into a first semester graduate course on transmis-
minor changes in load details and system parameters). Many
sion operation and planning. Prior to 2008, this course had
other convergence problems are due to islanding (e.g., an
enrollments typically in the range of thirty students, but the
isolated generator at the end of a transmission line). The latter is
advent of renewable resources and renewed interest in power
better detected with VSAT, which clearly identifies the is-
systems engineering seem to have reenergized the field, and
landing problem. In any case, rechecking the obtained
enrollments in the course have risen to over 100 students. At
SSTOOLS results with VSAT and vice versa has been found to
Arizona State University, this course typically has about 75%
be useful on identifying the true violations and critical points in
Masters level students, and 25% Doctoral level; and the stu-
the system. With the above guidelines, 23 static critical con-
dents are typically about 25% U.S. students, and 75% non-U.S.
tingencies (SCCs) were identified in the heavily loaded sce-
The students’ backgrounds vary significantly. The strengths of
nario and 19 SCCs were identified in the lightly loaded scenario
the students seem to lie in the computer applications area. That
of the given base case.
is, the students are either conversant with PSLF, Power World,
Additionally, the dynamic security assessment includes
and similar packages, or they are able to develop reasonably
small signal stability analysis and transient stability analysis. In
high sophistication in the use of these tools very quickly.
this case study the small signal stability analysis tool (SSAT)
Additionally, the experience from the exercise is that the stu-
and the transient stability analysis tool (TSAT) from DSATools
dents are anxious to apply concepts of solar and wind genera-
are used respectively for these analyses, in conjunction with the
tion additions to test bed systems. Test beds that have been
dynamic simulation capabilities of PSLF to double check
used and reported here are from the WECC and these test beds
results.
are of various sizes depending on the detail covered, the voltage
Since there are numerous dynamic modes in the study case,
level of the transmission system, and the geographical cover-
it is not a trivial task to identify and trace the dominant in-
age. The weaknesses of the students are more difficult to
ter-area and local modes in the system over different load
identify, but these weaknesses may include basic calculations
scenarios. From a regional perspective, in this case, only eleven
of three phase AC circuits (e.g., per unit), and the ability to
modes were identified as providing important information
recognize spurious answers in their calculations. Also, the
about the small signal stability of the entire interconnected
students have had trouble expressing the results of complex
system. Eight of them are inter-area modes and three of them
studies in a comprehensible manner.
are local modes associated with converter control based gen-
A typical assignment that might be presented to beginning
erators (CCBG) representing wind and solar photovoltaic
students utilizes a thirteen-bus equivalent of a 500 and 250 kV
generators. The eleven identified modes are shown in Table III.
system. The system given has a specified load profile, and
Letter ‘I’ denotes inter-area mode and letter ‘L’ local mode.
generation levels are specified at four generators. Then the
Some important characteristics of the new modes associated
students would perform N – 1 security analysis on the given
with CCBG are only observed in bulk systems, as described in
system and report their results. Subsequently, the students
detail in [34].
would examine 5%, 10%, …, 25% load increases, and they
TABLE III MAIN IDENTIFIED MODES would add photovoltaic or wind generation at assigned buses.
The resulting system is no longer N – 1 secure. They are then
Heavy Loaded Scenario Light Loaded Scenario
asked to recommend transmission expansion. Tabular data are
Mode Inter-area Inter-area
f (Hz) ζ (%) f (Hz) ζ (%) provided to the students for transmission costs and corre-
Index Index
sponding capabilities of new circuits.
1-I 0.254 19.46 -- 0.305 19.72 343 / 2044
The results of an assignment as described are mixed: some
2-I 0.372 10.9 922 / 2944 0.471 12.16 527 / 2044
students simply try a few line additions and they seem insensi-
3-I 0.877 11.22 110 / 2944 tive to the cost of the expansion. Others discover that the
4-I 0.541 9.43 767 / 2944 0.622 5.92 65 / 2044 software tools have sensitivity analysis capabilities, and these
5-I 0.669 13.39 237 / 2044 students often are able to obtain “better” (more economical)
6-I 0.838 9.37 152 / 2044 solutions. One issue that comes up in classroom discussion of
7-I 0.39 12.36 225 / 2944 these assignments relates to system stability: the students have
8-I 0.627 10.63 409 / 2944 a difficult time in relating the stability of the dynamic system to
9-L 0.36 10.5 -- simple cases of over-current and undervoltage. However, the
10-L 0.588 6.85 -- classroom discussion of the meaning of power system stability
11-L 0.607 28.28 -- seems to help comprehension. An additional area that creates
Inter-area Index: m generators with speeds with real part of the mode's right classroom discussion is the solution for undervoltages in the
eigenvector larger than 0.2 / n total generators

system. Such a discussion includes the IEEE operating voltage
limits; the use of static capacitors in the transmission system;
and the setting of generator terminal voltages. For example, in
many locations in the Western United States, 500 kV circuits
are operated at a high voltage range, e.g., 525 - 540 kV, the
reasons are discussed in some detail in class. The grading of the
indicated assignment was based on:
 Check for N – 1 compliance and introduction (15%)
 Calculation of the capacity to accept added solar generation
(15%)
 Security assessment (10%)
 Comparison of results with published levels of solar energy
expected in this region (10%)
 Explanation of transmission expansion procedures in place
today (15%)
 Technical writing and report format (20%)
 Clarity of explanations (10%)
 Supporting documentation (5%).
The grading criteria are given to the students in advance. The
resulting grades are shown in Fig. 3 (with a mean of about 72,
and standard deviation of 23).
Fig. 3 Grade distribution for an assignment on transmission expansion.
Maximum grade = 100, percentages show the percentage of the class in that
score range.
The students’ response was obtained from three offerings of
the course in which enrollments were mainly on-campus
graduate students. However, about 9% of the enrollees were
undergraduates and another 9% were practicing professional
persons in industry. The industry professional students were
off-campus and they took the course via the Internet [36]. The
main student reaction to the course was that they appreciated
the use of diverse technical subjects from a range of areas in
science and engineering to solve specific real problems. The
fact that the real problems often had the objective of incorpo-
rating renewable resources made the course response even
better: the students often favor integration of renewables as an
approach to address energy and environmental issues. The
course topics presented an avenue to apply theory in an envi-
ronmentally friendly manner. A second main response of the
students relates to the course project. In the TEP course, a
project was assigned to be completed near the end of the se-
mester. As an example, an equivalent of the southwest U.S.
transmission system was given and a task was assigned to
implement transmission expansion to accommodate large-scale
solar generation resources. The students often commented on
the value of the realistic example. To document the positive
6
student response, the course instructor notes that many students
list this project in their curriculum vitae.
There are several books [37]-[39] and online resources [40]
available to be used as reading materials in this course. Among
them, [37]-[38] provide references for TEP models and algo-
rithms from both research and engineering point of view.
Reference [39] is a relatively new report that includes the
integration of renewable resources in the TEP process. Refer-
ence [40] is website for a graduate course taught at Iowa State
University and contains a consolidated set of notes on the topic.
Nevertheless, a comprehensive textbook that is suitable for a
TEP course is still missing, which causes the resources used in
the course tend to be disbursed and sometimes even contra-
dictory.
It appears that many academic sectors favor environmen-
tally appropriate solutions, but some of these sectors have
general educational approaches (e.g., discussion and verbal
analysis that focus on problems) rather than a specific, engi-
neering-sound solution approach. A course in TEP is exactly
that: a sound engineering approach that includes the best
knowledge from science (and finance) to solve complex prob-
lems in electric power transmission expansion.
VI. GUIDE TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
The previous discussion paves the way to set a clear curric-
ulum development path for producing qualified transmission
planning engineers. The expected skills for qualified transmis-
sion planners are summarized in Fig. 4. First, a solid power
system background is a precondition; it gives the planners a
good understanding of the physics of the power system. Sec-
ond, knowledge of basic optimization theories is essential for
the next generation TEP studies; it ensures the planning deci-
sion is desirable from the economic point of view. Third,
knowledge of statistical and probability theories are desirable,
it helps to address uncertainties, which are inherent in the
planning process with renewable generation resources [41].
Based on the above knowledge, familiarity with the software
tools listed in this paper, as well as having the ability to extract
useful information from a large amount of data is a necessity. In
addition, planning engineers should also have both good verbal
and written communication skills for the reason that it may
require frequent meetings and discussions with stakeholders.
The authors believe that a power engineering program that
follows the above guidelines will prepare the industry with
well-trained power systems planning engineers.
Fig. 4. Expected skills for transmission planning engineers
As for university curriculum development, considering that
students in the power engineering program may have diversi-

fied academic backgrounds, it is advisable to take the three-step
approach as described in Fig. 5. In the junior undergraduate
level, fundamental mathematics such as calculus and statistics
should be taught. Basic circuit analysis and signal processing
can also be taught at this level after the students have the cor-
responding mathematical knowledge. Computer programming
is another important topic that should be taught and used earlier
at this stage. At the senior undergraduate level, curricula should
be designed to include the topics of power flow studies, faults,
protection as well as basic stability studies. Meanwhile, it is
also suggested to introduce basic optimization theory [42]-[43]
engineering economics [44] and probability theory [45] to
students at this level. Thus, if a student does not want to pursue
an advanced degree after the college education, the essential
background to work as a power systems planning engineer is
still provided. The graduate curriculum should be an extension
of what students have learned in their undergraduate work.
More theoretical courses such as stability, optimization, linear
and nonlinear systems analysis, as well as advanced probability
theories should be taught depending on the specialty of the
faculties to ensure students not only know how to use the tools,
but also have an in depth understanding of the theoretical basis
behind. In that sense, the students should have the ability to
design a new tool or tailor existing tools according to the re-
quirement of the studies conducted.
Fig. 5. TEP curriculum development
Tools and notions such as: random variables, probability
distribution and density functions, moments, cumulants are
necessary to conduct a stochastic or probabilistic power flow.
Knowledge of statistical and probability concepts is very useful
to understand the basis of and mathematically model random-
ness. Statistical analysis and inference are important for prac-
tical planners [46]. In fact, the inference in statistics is based on
a given assumed model and a set of past observations. Fore-
casting needs the understanding of stochastic processes theory
and regression models [47]. For example, an assumed load and
dispatch model can be estimated using a developed algorithm
[48] using past power consumption, weather behavior and
recorded variables such as temperature, wind speed and re-
ceived light. The obtained model is then used to forecast a
future scenario.
The use of detailed, real-size models in course projects and
research works would expose students to real world problems
and the difficulties of dealing with large amount of data, rec-
ognizing trends and designing strategies to simplify analysis
and reduce processing time. Solving these real life practical
7
problems would certainly provide a good opportunity for
strengthening fundamentals and creative solutions.
This comprehensive curriculum development approach,
with a wide variety of topics included, may only be achievable
through the cooperation of the electrical engineering depart-
ment with the mathematics and statistics department. In some
cases, it may be advisable for the students to take special
courses outside their universities and offered by leading insti-
tutions in the field. In addition, due to budget constraints, it is
possible not to have all the commercial software presented in
Section IV in a single power system laboratory. However, as
mentioned in the same section, some of the tools are more
education oriented and complete versions can be obtained by
academic institutions for educational and research purposes at
reduced prices.
VII. CONCLUSIONS
This paper presents the regional transmission expansion
planning process from an educational perspective, identifying
competencies and skills needed for present and future trans-
mission planners. A broad review of the topics, models and
software tools used in contemporary transmission expansion
projects is introduced, based on teaching and real world re-
search experiences.
A guide to curriculum development in response to the iden-
tified competencies and inter-disciplinary skills for qualified
transmission planners is proposed at undergraduate and gradu-
ate levels. Experiences with classroom offerings at the Power
Engineering Program at Arizona State University are presented.
Additionally, the applicability of the proposal by small power
engineering programs is considered.
As discussed in this paper, transmission planners should not
only have solid power systems knowledge and the ability to use
popular software tools, but also have an inter-disciplinary
background that covers extensively in linear and non-linear
systems theory, optimization, advanced statistics as well as
computer programming. Furthermore, the TEP teaching and
research experience presented in the paper has exposed the
need for the incorporation of real world type problems in the
curriculum of the contemporary transmission planning engi-
neer.
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