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Electric Transmission

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ICF's Jim Stanton Elected to NERC Standards Committee

ICF Proposes Consideration of New Regional Transmission Organisation to Help Prevent Future European Blackouts

NPR Interview on U.S. Electricity Grid, July 28, 2006

MSNBC Interview on Power Crisis in New York, St., Louis, and Missouri on July 25, 2006

ICF International Completes Detailed Analysis of Proposed GridFlorida RTO

ICF International Identifies the U.S. Energy Act’s Implications for the Global Energy Sector

Jimmy Glotfelty, Former Head of U.S. DOE Electric Office, Hired

Just U.S. $8 Billion in New Transmission Build Investments Predicted to Lower Wholesale Power Prices by More Than
$12 Billion


Bloomberg TV Interview Regarding DOE's Interim Blackout Report Released on November 19, 2003

Italian Blackout and Need for Investment in Electric Transmission

CNBC Interview Regarding Major Northeast U.S. and Canadian Power Outages on August 14, 2003


Captive Power in GCC: The Development of Power Projects in the Middle East

Cascading Blackout: Why Wasn't the Power Outage Contained?

The Compliance Clock is Ticking

Cost-Benefit Study of the Proposed GridFlorida RTO

Costs and Benefits of Investing in the U.S. Transmission Grid

Cyber Security and the Grid

Cyber Security Under the NERC Reliability Standards

Economic Cost of the Blackout

Electricity Prices: What to Look Out For

Independent Assessment of Midwest ISO Operational Benefits

Power Crisis: The Omission of Transmission

Putting U.S. "Market Power" Tests Into Perspective

Ready for Your NERC Close-Up?

Regional Resource Planning Makes Sense

A Tale of Two Transmission Systems

Transmission Grid Frailty? Blackout Potential Not Limited to the Northeast Quadrant

Transmission Turns the Corner

U.S. Energy Act 2005:
Energy Project Siting and Infrastructure Development


U.S. Energy Act 2005: The Impacts of Clean Coal and Gasification Incentives

U.S. Energy Act 2005: The Impacts of PUHCA Repeal

U.S. Energy Act 2005: Provisions for Electric Transmission

Where Have All the Mergers Gone?


Economic Assessment of Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) Policy

Electric Generation Asset Management and Annual Budgeting

Electric Transmission: Strategic Asset and Regulatory Services

Energy Markets Brochure

GridFlorida: Costs and Benefits of a Centralized RTO

How Cost-Effective is Your RTO?

Implications of Cyber Security Standards for Electric Power Grid

Integrated Energy Market Modeling

Integrated Resource Planning Support Services

Introduction to the Integrated Planning Model (IPM®)

IPM®: The Integrated Planning Model

Midwest ISO: Benefits of a Centralized RTO

NERC Reliability Standards Compliance Services

Nominating and Procuring Financial Transmission Rights in Locational Marginal Pricing Markets

Optimal Power Flow (OPF) Analysis

Power Generation and Transmission Asset Valuation and Due Diligence

Technology Solutions for NERC Reliability Standards Compliance

Transmission Congestion and Investment Analysis


Carbon Tools

Integrated Planning Model (IPM®)

Gas Market Model (GMM™)

Energy Asset Decision Support System (EADSS™)

Market Clearing Engine (MCE)—Gas Pipeline &
Market Model


MAPS™

PowerWorld®

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ICF International relies on its state-of-the-art analytics, regulatory understanding, and market knowledge to help clients make educated decisions concerning transmission risks, financial transmission rights (FTR), and hedging strategies. Our analyses have helped our clients mitigate congestion and lower wholesale power costs―saving billions of dollars for power companies, power marketers, and consumers.

 

 

Congestion and Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP) Forecasts

Locational Marginal Price Forecast. ICF International forecasted locational marginal prices (LMP) and transmission congestion for Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) DAY 2 operation in the New England market to support a client's dispatch decisions for generation asset, design of structured energy products, and financial transmission rights (FTR). ICF International used GE-MAPs™ to perform a detailed modeling of the New England market within the context of the larger Northeast markets by modeling all the physical transmission facilities, economic generation injections, and hourly nodal loads. The analyses provided forecasts of LMPs at each node, load zone, and the New England trading hub, as well as hourly congestion across all transmission lines and interfaces. Our analysis was used by the client's team to support trading positions with other counter parties and to procure FTRs to hedge potential congestion costs associated with the client's energy delivery obligations in the New England market.

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Financial Transmission Rights (FTR) Strategy Design

Transmission Congestion Assessment. ICF International assisted a large generation and transmission company in the Mid-American Power Pool (MAPP) region with an assessment of the MAPP/MISO market for Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) DAY 2 operation with a three-year forecast of locational marginal prices (LMPs) and transmission congestion. We then designed a FTR strategy to nominate candidate FTRs for client operations to hedge congestion costs. For each of the client transactions, the FTR design provided information on the following:

  • What are the expected congestion costs from point-to-point (PTP) energy transactions, and network resources to network load?
  • What are the expected negative congestion revenues?
  • What are the expected equivalent FTR revenues, and are there any seasonal patterns?
  • What is the expected equivalent FTR risk exposure?
  • Should the client hold FTRs?
  • Should the FTRs be annual, seasonal, or monthly?

Transmission Risk Exposure Assessment. ICF International assisted in managing a clients’ operational risk and flexibility in transmission in the mid-Atlantic market. We estimated the transmission risk exposure on all the major bulk power transmission facilities, the estimated duration of hours of congestion on each transmission line link, and the optimal value and type of FTR needed to hedge transmission price risk for physical transactions and for supporting trading positions.

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Regulatory and Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) Cost-Benefit Assessments

Cost Benefit Analysis of Proposed Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) Structure. For the Federal Energy Commission, ICF International addressed the question of how large regional transmission organizations would impact the power markets in the United States in a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Regional Transmission Organization RTO structure. The RTO framework proposes to establish consistent and effective market rules governing transmission systems and power markets over a large area. ICF International first developed a base case that characterized current utility dispatch, planning, and other industry conditions important for analyzing the economic impacts of the RTO proposal. This base case reflected the "no action" alternative to the proposal, i.e., that of status quo implementation of Order 888 by the commission. Further, ICF International analyzed the impact of several alternate situations under the proposed RTO structure in a series of policy cases. The policy scenarios examined three main types of economic benefits that the commission expects RTOs to deliver: transmission improvements, generator improvements, and demand response to electric price signals. Prior to this analysis, ICF International developed the analysis design, conducted the air quality modeling, and prepared the economic modeling Draft and Final EIS documents for FERC’s wholesale transmission open access final rule (Order 888). ICF International also assisted in the responses to public comments.

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Inter-Regional Transmission Capacity Forecasts

Power Imports into the Tucson, Arizona, Area. ICF International modeled the Arizona power market to determine the limits on power imports into the Tucson area for a major power developer. The analysis involved an economic dispatch of power plants while enforcing transmission line and nodal voltage constraints. ICF International determined the rate of increase in imports with increases in local power generation, and the net benefits to the system due to the addition of new lines and substations.

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System Impact and Stability Studies

Generation Dispatch Analysis in the Phoenix, Arizona, Area. For two developers of a major power generation project in the greater Phoenix area, ICF International provided a range of services, including: evaluating how the project would likely be dispatched in the Western Electric Coordinating Counsel (WECC) and the local market, given other existing capacity and significant amounts of new capacity coming on line, assessing impacts on the plant of "contingencies" in which certain regional generating stations and transmission lines became unavailable, and analyzing the impact of the potential addition of a new transmission line that would enhance the project's ability to sell power to more distant wholesale customers. We helped prepare presentations for management, state regulators, and other stakeholders in the relevant markets based on our analysis.

Marketing Strategy for Underground Transmission, Pan-European Energy Industry Association. ICF International is advising a European energy association with member companies in the transmission sector. Our advice is helping the association position itself to take commercial advantage of the opportunities presented by the confluence of several European directives: efforts to reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy projects, and accelerate efforts to create a liberalized and inter-connected European electricity market. Read ICF International's report to the European Commission, Undergrounding Electricity Lines in Europe.

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Optimal Power Flow Analysis and Siting

Reliability Must Run (RMR) Assessment. ICF International performed an independent assessment to estimate the economic RMR requirements for a load pocket in the WECC market for an independent power producer. We identified the maximum economic RMR requirements from utility generators in the load pocket.

Siting Analysis. ICF International identified suitable sites to build a 500 MW combined-cycle generation unit for a client entering the Wisconsin power market. The study considered potential risk factors such as demand growth, existing installed capability, transmission adequacy, voltage support, and transmission congestion issues that could affect the deliverability of megawatts.

Optimal Power Flow Simulation. ICF International performed an optimal power flow simulation of the WECC market to determine dispatch scenarios for a large power plant in the Palo Verde, Arizona, region. The work included the economic dispatch of units, contingency analysis, and snapshots of expected summer peak nodal prices. This analysis demonstrated the capability of the transmission system to deliver power to market with all transmission facilities in service and under various contingency scenarios.

Value of Reactive Power. ICF International estimated the market value of supplying reactive power from a portfolio of units to maintain flowgate capacities between two regional markets in the mid-Atlantic region. The study estimated the target portfolio’s leverage to keep the flowgate open between the regions and convert the leverage into value.

Site Assessment Due Diligence. ICF International helped a client enter the Wisconsin power market by employing our transmission modeling expertise to identify suitable sites to build a combined-cycle generation unit. In recommending potential locations for the client, the study considered potential risk factors, such as demand, existing installed capability, transmission adequacy, voltage support, and transmission congestion issues on the deliverability of megawatts while providing the necessary initial due diligence efforts to support further project review.

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Transmission Security & Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP)

Evaluating Terrorist Threats Against Energy Transmission Systems. ICF International recently conducted a joint public- and private-sector exercise focusing on terrorist threats to electric power transmission systems for a federal client. Designed to test existing plans and educate key personnel on new threats and vulnerabilities, this exercise tested the capabilities of state, local, and private-sector organizations to jointly respond to an attack. We also analyzed the transmission load flow under multiple scenarios to evaluate potential contingencies and identify critical points of concern on the transmission network.

 

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Contact us via e-mail at info@icfi.com Contact us by phone at 1.703.934.3603