Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity
Expanding transmission capacity is likely a bottleneck that will restrict variable renewable energy (VRE) deployment required to achieve ambitious emission reduction goals. Interconnection and inter-zonal transmission buildout may be displaced by the optimal sizing of VRE to grid connection capacity...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research: Energy |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/adafab |
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| author | Aneesha Manocha Gabriel Mantegna Neha Patankar Jesse D Jenkins |
| author_facet | Aneesha Manocha Gabriel Mantegna Neha Patankar Jesse D Jenkins |
| author_sort | Aneesha Manocha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Expanding transmission capacity is likely a bottleneck that will restrict variable renewable energy (VRE) deployment required to achieve ambitious emission reduction goals. Interconnection and inter-zonal transmission buildout may be displaced by the optimal sizing of VRE to grid connection capacity and by the co-location of VRE and battery resources behind interconnection. However, neither of these capabilities is commonly captured in macro-energy system models. We develop two new functionalities to explore the substitutability of storage for transmission and the optimal capacity and siting decisions of renewable energy and battery resources through 2030 in the Western Interconnection of the United States. Our findings indicate that modeling optimized interconnection and storage co-location better captures the full value of energy storage and its ability to substitute for transmission. Optimizing interconnection capacity and co-location can reduce total grid connection and shorter-distance transmission capacity expansion on the order of 10% at storage penetration equivalent to 2.5%–10% of peak system demand. The decline in interconnection capacity corresponds with greater ratios of VRE to grid connection capacity (an average of 1.5–1.6 megawatt (MW) PV:1 MW inverter capacity, 1.2–1.3 MW wind:1 MW interconnection). Co-locating storage with VREs also results in a 9%–13% increase in wind capacity, as wind sites tend to require longer and more costly interconnection. Finally, co-located storage exhibits higher value than standalone storage in our model setup (up to ∼43%–45%). Given the coarse representation of transmission networks in our modeling, this outcome likely overstates the real-world importance of storage co-location with VREs. However, it highlights how siting storage in grid-constrained locations can maximize the value of storage and reduce transmission expansion. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-710ad06652974a3cbac85bfea7b3951d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2753-3751 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | Environmental Research: Energy |
| spelling | doaj-art-710ad06652974a3cbac85bfea7b3951d2025-08-20T03:04:48ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research: Energy2753-37512025-01-012101501110.1088/2753-3751/adafabReducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacityAneesha Manocha0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7190-4782Gabriel Mantegna1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7707-0221Neha Patankar2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7288-0391Jesse D Jenkins3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9670-7793Energy Resources Group, University of California , Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of America; Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ, United States of AmericaAndlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ, United States of America; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ, United States of AmericaDepartment of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton , Binghamton, NY, United States of AmericaAndlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ, United States of America; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ, United States of AmericaExpanding transmission capacity is likely a bottleneck that will restrict variable renewable energy (VRE) deployment required to achieve ambitious emission reduction goals. Interconnection and inter-zonal transmission buildout may be displaced by the optimal sizing of VRE to grid connection capacity and by the co-location of VRE and battery resources behind interconnection. However, neither of these capabilities is commonly captured in macro-energy system models. We develop two new functionalities to explore the substitutability of storage for transmission and the optimal capacity and siting decisions of renewable energy and battery resources through 2030 in the Western Interconnection of the United States. Our findings indicate that modeling optimized interconnection and storage co-location better captures the full value of energy storage and its ability to substitute for transmission. Optimizing interconnection capacity and co-location can reduce total grid connection and shorter-distance transmission capacity expansion on the order of 10% at storage penetration equivalent to 2.5%–10% of peak system demand. The decline in interconnection capacity corresponds with greater ratios of VRE to grid connection capacity (an average of 1.5–1.6 megawatt (MW) PV:1 MW inverter capacity, 1.2–1.3 MW wind:1 MW interconnection). Co-locating storage with VREs also results in a 9%–13% increase in wind capacity, as wind sites tend to require longer and more costly interconnection. Finally, co-located storage exhibits higher value than standalone storage in our model setup (up to ∼43%–45%). Given the coarse representation of transmission networks in our modeling, this outcome likely overstates the real-world importance of storage co-location with VREs. However, it highlights how siting storage in grid-constrained locations can maximize the value of storage and reduce transmission expansion.https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/adafabrenewable energyenergy storagetransmissionco-located batteriesmacro-energy systemsvariable renewable energy |
| spellingShingle | Aneesha Manocha Gabriel Mantegna Neha Patankar Jesse D Jenkins Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity Environmental Research: Energy renewable energy energy storage transmission co-located batteries macro-energy systems variable renewable energy |
| title | Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity |
| title_full | Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity |
| title_fullStr | Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity |
| title_short | Reducing transmission expansion by co-optimizing sizing of wind, solar, storage and grid connection capacity |
| title_sort | reducing transmission expansion by co optimizing sizing of wind solar storage and grid connection capacity |
| topic | renewable energy energy storage transmission co-located batteries macro-energy systems variable renewable energy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2753-3751/adafab |
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