Interconnection Feasibility Studies

Burns & McDonnell has performed numerous generation interconnection feasibility studies for Padoma Wind Power. The purpose of a generation interconnection feasibility study is to identify the transmission system impacts that result from a generation interconnection. Burns & McDonnell has evaluated transmission system impacts for project sizes ranging from 75 MW to 400 MW. In addition to identifying system impacts, Burns & McDonnell provided cost estimates for transmission system reinforcements as a part of the generation interconnection feasibility studies.

• Generation interconnection feasibility study
• Load flow analysis
• Facility upgrade cost estimates

Padoma Wind Power is a wind energy development company based in La Jolla, Calif. The company seeks to build new wind farms and has contracted with Burns & McDonnell to assist in the analysis and evaluation of various potential wind farm sites. A key variable in the decision to proceed with construction is the potential project’s impact to the transmission system. Upgrading the impacted facilities is costly and identifying the impacted facilities is a crucial step in the site evaluation process.

Burns & McDonnell used Power System Simulator for Engineering (PSS/E) and Managing and Utilizing System Transmission (MUST) softwares by Power Technology Inc. (PTI) to perform the load flow analysis. The MUST software simulates a power transfer from the potential site to a specified delivery point and identifies impacted facilities at corresponding project output levels. Once the impacted facilities were identified, a cost estimate was developed based on typical cost per mile values.

• Studies ranging from 75 MW to 400 MW
• Perform steady-state loadflow analysis
• Identify transmission system impacts
• Provide facility upgrade cost estimates