EI-WECC Seams Study Needed CIGRE GOTF Chicago October 12, 2015

Electric Interconnections / 8 NERC Regions Who is SPP? Order 1000 – Regional Planning Requirements Order 1000 – Interregional Coordination This NERC map shows the other NERC Regional Entities and the three electric interconnections. (Nebraska is not included as part of the SPP region on this map, because SPP’s Nebraska members are part of the MRO Regional Entity, not the SPP Regional Entity. Nebraska is part of the SPP Regional Transmission Organization.)

SPP has some of the best wind resources in the US SPP has some of the best wind resources in the US. NREL ranking of states showed Texas #1, Kansas #2 and Nebraska #3 in terms of wind potential. Looks like Big 12 Football rankings from about 5 years ago. That no longer applies with Nebraska joining the Big 10 and Kansas can’t compete with OSU and others these days…

Renewables Status SPP wind has provided peak capacity contribution of 8.3 GW with 9.2 GW of nameplate capability Surge in recent GI queue requests with 8.5 GW of new wind under study 2 GW of wind under development with almost 17 GW of wind with signed IAs or under study Solar developments are just starting WAPA/Basin IS joining SPP market in Oct 2015 will bring significant resource and load diversity to SPP, in addition to existing and expected renewables which are not captured in SPP stats shown above. Time for another national grid study given Clean Power Plan and other environmental regulations, as well as criticality of energy security and grid resilience, as part of QER recommendations.

Solar is the next frontier Solar is the next frontier. SPP has the best solar resources in the Eastern Interconnection in eastern New Mexico and the western portion of the central and south plains. SPP has very little solar on its system or in its queue, but the future is very bright. SPP is seeing significant oil/gas development in NM, TX and some in OK and KS. The transmission needed to serve loads in NM/TX will provide a great collector system for solar development in the future.

SPP and the Integrated System (IS)

Operating Region 575,000 square miles of service territory with nearly 18 million people 825 generating plants 4,782 substations Approximately 56,000 miles transmission 11 GW of wind in service and almost 17 GW of wind under development Huge potential for solar Direct control / influence of all B2B DC ties in the U.S.

All DC ties from EI to ERCOT and almost all from EI to WECC via the SPP/IS System

10/1/15 Independent System Operator (ISO) / Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) Map

HVDC B2B Stations between EI and WECC HVDC Station Location Vendor Type kV Power (MW) Year David A Hamel Stegall, NE GE LCC 50 100 1977 Eddy County Artesia, NM 82 200 1983 Blackwater Clovis, NM ABB 60 1984 Miles City Miles City, MT 1985 Virginia Smith Sidney, NE Siemens 1988 McNeill McNeill, AB Alstom 42 150 1989 Rapid City Rapid City, SD CCC 13 2003 Lamar Lamar, CO 63.6 210 2005

Observations Integrated Marketplace providing large benefits which will improve with WAPA/Basin IS Environmental regulations and economics are resulting in increased renewable development for SPP needs, plus exports WAPA/Basin IS integration into SPP warrants a long term reassessment of the existing seams given Clean Power Plan, as well as aging infrastructure, energy security and grid resilience Future grid extends beyond wholesale, bulk power system to distribution networks, end use devices, and empowered prosumers

NREL-Led EI & WECC Seams Studies 2 part GMLC study for 2016-2017 with DOE funding $1.5M+ for work at national labs including NREL, PNNL, ANL and ORNL, as well as Iowa State University Optimal EI and WECC near-term seams study to address needs and quantify opportunities/costs associated with life extension and/or rightsizing and/or bypassing of existing B2B HVDC ties with direct EHV AC connections at Laramie River Station, etc Long Term HVDC Overlay to expand MISO work to date Support from SPP and MISO, as well as Basin/Tri-State, PNM, Xcel Energy, WAPA, WECC, and WestConnect

“The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.” Einstein

Director – Research, Development & Special Studies Jay Caspary Director – Research, Development & Special Studies 501.614.3220 jcaspary@spp.org 17 17