Power Plant Siting

Enron North America (ENA) requested GRIDiant to perform a preliminary analysis for a Generator Location Study. The purpose of the project was to solicit GRIDiant’s GRIDfast analysis on six ENA-specified alternative generation locations in a particular California transmission corridor, and to identify the GRIDiant placement of two 1000 MW generators. The project used a then-incomplete beta version of GRIDfast software. GRIDiant reported preliminary results obtained from initial load flow and GRIDfast optimized power flow analysis.

Two WSCC base cases were provided to GRIDiant by ENA for analysis. Prior to load flow and GRIDfast analysis, these systems were reduced to a smaller area containing the subject corridor, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Diego before analysis. Assumptions and contingencies were supplied to GRIDiant.

The project recommendations were weighted towards the reactive power (Q) resource analysis rather than the active power resources (P) analysis. Improved Q support leads generally to increased system security and reduced mitigation requirements. Poor Q support leads to reduced system security and increased mitigation requirements. The preliminary analysis recommended priority placement of a single generator of 750 – 1000 MW at a specified geographic location. For siting of two 1000 MW generators, the analysis presented and compared the top four project sites based on reactive power (Q) analysis.