1. Joint Areas of Concern Northern Olympic Peninsula Olympia-Shelton Area
Puget Sound 500/230 kV transformation
Centralia Area
Interaction of Proposed Cascade Crossing Project
Interaction of Proposed I-5 Corridor Project
Pearl-Sherwood Area
Salem-Eugene Area
Bend Area
Benton-Taunton-Othello overloads
Spokane Support and Transformation
Moscow Area
Sandpoint ID Area

2. 2011 Sensitivity Studies
Further study of voltage stability issues and unsolved outages from System Assessment
Five Year Light Load Case
Ten Year Winter Case
Woodland Transformer Sensitivity 
N kV Outage Sensitivity 
Custer Ring Bus Modeling 
Sensitivity of Covington Transformer Need
Natural Gas Limitations resulting from extended peak load event
Wind Sensitivity Studies

3. Proposed Study Team
Several multi-system issues involve only one ColumbiaGrid member
Member responsibility is to report back results to ColumbiaGrid Process
Fairmount and Shelton issues will continue in BPA/PSE/Tacoma forum
Spokane Transformer and Sandpoint issues will continue in BPA/AVA forum
Benton-Taunton-Othello overloads will be addressed by NMC ST
Covington Tx and Paul-Tono issues will be addressed by PSAST

4. Adjacent Circuit Criteria: WRS1 and WRS1.1
Drafting Team has still not developed consensus
Comments received on posted criteria
2010 results in: 34 CT, 32 CC outages
Concern over common mode outages vs common cause
Groups wants info on design separation distance by voltage
Proposed criteria still evolving

5. Adjacent Circuit Criteria: WRS1 and WRS1.1
Changes that Drafting Team is proposing since Comment period:
Specify that it only applies to External Systems
Increased exemption from 2 to 3 miles
Some talk of changing to “no cascading” requirement rather than Level C Performance.
Still keeping:
minimum separation of 250 feet
intermediate circuits have no impact
Only for circuits above 300 KV

6. WIRES Report
Employment and Economic Benefits of Transmission Infrastructure Investment in the US and Canada
WIRES (Working group for Investment in Reliable and Economic electric Systems)
In conjunction with The Brattle Group

7. WIRES Report
Summarizes the variety of sources of information on the benefits of transmission and provides a nation-wide estimate of the direct, indirect and induced economic benefits of transmission manufacturing and construction.
Membership (reduced list)
James Hoecker – former FERC Chairman
Jolly Hayden – former VP for Operations for Calpine
Heath Knakmuhs – American Transmission Co.
Autry Warren - Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC

8. WIRES Report
Expect $12-16 Billion in regional transmission annually in the US through 2030 if current barriers to planning, permitting and cost recovery can be overcome
Extrapolated historical spending
Calculated projected spending (proposed projects minus percentage for overlap)
Both numbers are fairly close

9. WIRES Report
That level of transmission expansion ($12-16 Billion) will result in:
Stimulate $30-$40 Billion in total annual economic activity which includes 150,000 to 200,000 full-time jobs (2/3 of economic activity is indirect and induced – suppliers and support to construction and manufacturing activities)
Additional induced benefits for renewable generation calculated to be an additional 130,000 to 250,000 jobs
Expects proportional cost and benefits for Canada

10. System Benefits of Additional Transmission
WIRES Report
System Benefits of Additional Transmission
Reduced transmission losses, production cost savings, enhanced wholesale power market competition and liquidity, and associated wholesale power price reductions;
The economic value of increased reliability, insurance against high-cost outcomes under extreme market conditions, and increased flexibility of grid operations;
Generation investment cost savings and access to lower-cost renewable generation;
Reduced emissions and fossil fuel consumption; and
Economic benefits from increased federal, state, and local tax income.