DOE transmission planning study identifies ‘high opportunity’ interregional interfaces

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The U.S. Department of Energy recently released a National Transmission Planning Study aimed at providing a framework for utilities and grid planners to enhance connections between regions. This study, which includes high opportunity interfaces between grid interfaces, offers a toolbox for selecting and implementing projects that suit individual regions, rather than presenting a fixed blueprint. By analyzing various scenarios through 2050 and delving into nodal-level analysis up to 2035, the study fills a gap in interregional transmission planning in the United States.

The study identifies high opportunity transmission interfaces that could benefit multiple scenarios, such as alternating current projects, point-to-point projects, and multiterminal high-voltage, direct-current projects. By expanding interregional transmission, the study forecasts substantial cost savings, with an AC buildout potentially saving $270 billion, a point-to-point expansion saving $380 billion, and an HVDC buildout saving $490 billion by 2050. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that investing in transmission infrastructure can yield significant long-term benefits by reducing overall system costs and facilitating regional resource sharing.