XYLENE POWER LTD.

TRANSMISSION PLANNING

By C. Rhodes

INTRODUCTION:
This web page addresses long term transmission planning issues relating to southern Ontario.

TRANSMISSION RIGHT-OF-WAY:
A major problem with the OPA draft business plan as of September 14, 2009 is lack of long term perspective, particularly with respect to acquisition of transmission right-of-way.

If Ontario is to continue to reduce CO2 emissions the law of conservation of energy demands the following:
1. The ability to bring large amounts of additional non-fossil electricity into the GTA from the north.
2. The ability to store surplus energy during times and seasons of energy surplus and to recover and use that energy during times and seasons of energy deficiency.
3. In the long term meeting point #1 will require at least two new north-south 500 kV dual circuit transmission lines passing either west or east of Lake Simcoe.
4. In the long term meeting point #2 will require two new 500 kV dual circuit transmission lines between the GTA and Niagara Falls to access pumped hydraulic energy storage between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
5. In the long term displacing fossil fuels in the transportation and heating sectors will require additional high voltage transmission between the perimeter of Toronto and the core of Toronto.
6. The acquisition of the real estate right-of-way for all of these transmission lines will be one of the major challenges facing the OPA in the years to come. The more facing this issue is delayed the more difficult it will become due to on-going property development both on the selected right-of-way and on neighboring lands.
7. A high priority for the OPA is to identify these transmission line routes and get Ontario legislation passed that:
a) Prevents further new development along these routes in a manner similar to the existing Greenbelt legislation.
b) Provides a long term mechanism for Hydro One or the OPA to purchase existing developed properties along these routes at fair market price as these properties come on the market.
8. By exercising this purchase mechanism, over a period of about 20 years most of the properties substantially affected by the contemplated new transmission lines could be acquired at fair market price without dispute or political conflict.
9. The OPA should also consider integrated use of the same rights-of-way for commuter rail services. The main issue with commuter rail services is the requirement for large parking areas adjacent to each rail station. For example, it might be prudent for Hydro One or the OPA to purchase Buttonville Airport as a combined future commuter rail station and electricity hub. In the interim it could continue to be used as an airport. Similar areas of land should be purchased at Aurora and Newmarket to allow for a 500 kV power line and rail right-of-way parallel to Hwy 404.
10. In summary, lack of long term thinking, particularly with respect to acquisition of 500 kVtransmission right-of-way into the GTA and acquisition of 500 kV transmission right-of-way to access great lakes seasonal energy storage is the most glaring deficiency of the OPA's present 2010-2012 Business Plan.

SURPLUS ENERGY SALES:
Another issue not addressed in the existing OPA business plan is the issue of surplus energy sales. The use of larger amounts of non-fossil generation inevitably leads to times or seasons when there is surplus power. Instead of constraining non-fossil generation the OPA should be encouraging development of industrial customers that draw power only when it is surplus. If surplus energy goes into storage there is typically only a 50% to 70% recovery efficiency. Hence if the OPA can sell surplus only energy at 50% of fair market price, it may be better off financially than constraining non-fossil generation. Parties that might be induced to enter surplus only energy contracts are sodium, lithium and ammonia producers.

POWER FACTOR CORRECTION:
Power factor is the cosine of the phase angle between the voltage and current waveforms. Power factor correction is used to shift the voltage and current waveforms into phase with each other. Power factor correction maximizes the amount of power that can be delivered to a load via a transmission/distribution system that is subject to specific voltage and current constraints and hence maximizes the power transfer capability. Practical implementation of power factor correction in a transmission network with time varying reactive parameters is a complex process involving insertion of reactive power. There are potential severe complications related to unintended tripping of nuclear generation safety shutdown systems if the transmission network is suddenly reconfigured while under high load. A better strategy is to use the electricity rate structure to encourage all generators and loads to operate at close to unity power factor to minimize power factor correction requirements.

Over reliance on power factor correction within the transmission/distribution system generally leads to system instability and unreliability. Reliability is enhanced by keeping all grid customers at unity power factor and by designing the transmission/distribution system to minimize reliance on power factor correction to keep within safe operating limits.

This web page last updated October 9, 2009.