Where there's new transmission, there's always opposition. The crafty utility manipulates the community to fight about where to put the transmission line, not whether to build it in the first place. Yay, you, AEP!
It was reported that residents of the Ballantrae community in Dublin, Ohio, stormed a city council meeting recently. The City wants to re-route or bury the project, but seems to have blindly accepted its necessity.
It was reported that residents of the Ballantrae community in Dublin, Ohio, stormed a city council meeting recently. The City wants to re-route or bury the project, but seems to have blindly accepted its necessity.
PJM Interconnection -- a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of electricity in 13 states including Ohio -- mandated AEP build a new line in Dublin’s West Innovation District based on energy forecasts and projections, said Dublin Public Affairs Officer Lindsay Weisenauer.
Joe Demaree, a project outreach specialist for AEP, said Dublin residents and businesses -- and future residents and business -- would require more electricity. The summer of 2022 is when projected electrical capacity necessary to support businesses and residents would outpace existing infrastructure, he said.
The proposed transmission line, Demaree said, would fix that problem and avoid putting AEP’s power grid in jeopardy.
Mandated? Isn't that a pretty strong word for a project AEP requested that was never approved by PJM?
This project was one on a long list AEP presented to PJM under its M-3 process. Under the M-3 process, the Transmission Owners are responsible for planning a series of meetings with stakeholders specific to system needs, solutions and projects to be included in the local plan. PJM's role is to facilitate those meetings. The PJM Board of Managers do not approve Supplemental Projects.
Got it? Not approved. Simply accepted. Acceptance does not equal mandate.
And why does AEP believe this project is needed? Here's AEP's actual description of need for this project presented to PJM:
This project was one on a long list AEP presented to PJM under its M-3 process. Under the M-3 process, the Transmission Owners are responsible for planning a series of meetings with stakeholders specific to system needs, solutions and projects to be included in the local plan. PJM's role is to facilitate those meetings. The PJM Board of Managers do not approve Supplemental Projects.
Got it? Not approved. Simply accepted. Acceptance does not equal mandate.
And why does AEP believe this project is needed? Here's AEP's actual description of need for this project presented to PJM:
AEP has received requests for increased demand in the Dublin, Ohio area. Analysis shows Bethel - Sawmill 138 kV will be a constraint. Consequent inspection identified clearance violations along the Bethel - Sawmill 138 kV line. AEP has de-rated the thermal capacity of the line to mitigate potential safety issues. Brookside-Sawmill -> N-1-1=127%, N-1=117% Bethel-Brookside -> N-1-1=102%, N-1=92% (N-1-1: Bethel - Roberts 138 kV + Davidson - Roberts 138 kV) AEP believes that the loading issues exist today due to the recent 30% de-rate of the line. Newly connected customer loads are scheduled to ramp up, significantly contributing to area thermal concerns.
The Dublin-Sawmill 138kV circuit will experience loading of 116% under N-1-1 conditions involving the loss of Bethel-Davidson 138kV & Davidson-Roberts 138kV circuits. With load growth in the area, we anticipate this line to overload starting in 2022. AEP-Ohio has requested a third 138kV source to Dublin station to maintain acceptable reliability levels for the load at risk. Dublin Station serves 75 MVA of peak demand with minimal load transfer capability. Dublin station serves some critical loads. Newly connected customer loads are scheduled to ramp, significantly contributing to area thermal concerns.
Newly connected customer loads. Requests for increased demand. Some new customer or customers that use an inordinate amount of power are expected in Dublin. New manufacturing that will provide new jobs? Or new data center that will provide few jobs? I dunno, but it's a big customer or customers. This is what is driving this request from AEP... their anticipation of increased load. Will it actually happen? Maybe the City of Dublin can shed some light on this.
Because it was expecting this new, big customer, AEP decided to inspect its existing line. And, wouldn't you know it, there are some previously neglected clearance issues! As in, the existing line sags too much during high load and hot weather. Ut-oh! AEP took it upon itself to save the day by de-rating the line 30%. This means that the maximum loading of the line was reduced by 30%. And, wouldn't you know it, de-rating the line caused overloads! Now there's not enough capacity available to serve anticipated load! And, wouldn't you know it, utilities like AEP make money building things and collecting generous returns on their investments over their useful life. Serendipity! Dublin needs new transmission!
PJM has nothing to do with AEP's request. AEP concocted this solution. PJM didn't say "boo" one way or the other. Hardly a mandate.
Now the City of Dublin is in a quandry... should it spend city funds to make AEP bury the transmission line, or route it somewhere else? Are the drawbacks of this new line too much for Ballantrae, or other residents of Dublin to bear? Where should they put the transmission line?
Does Dublin really need this transmission line? Are there other solutions? These are the questions Dublin should really be asking. PJM simply won't care if AEP doesn't carry out its current plan. The lights aren't going to go off. There are always alternatives.
Looks like AEP has a community opposition wildfire igniting. Just because the City swallowed AEP's fish story about mandates hook, line and sinker doesn't mean the people who would have to live with the new transmission line will.
It's never about where to put it, it's about whether to put it. Before spending millions of dollars of taxpayer funds, the City of Dublin has a little more investigating to do.
Because it was expecting this new, big customer, AEP decided to inspect its existing line. And, wouldn't you know it, there are some previously neglected clearance issues! As in, the existing line sags too much during high load and hot weather. Ut-oh! AEP took it upon itself to save the day by de-rating the line 30%. This means that the maximum loading of the line was reduced by 30%. And, wouldn't you know it, de-rating the line caused overloads! Now there's not enough capacity available to serve anticipated load! And, wouldn't you know it, utilities like AEP make money building things and collecting generous returns on their investments over their useful life. Serendipity! Dublin needs new transmission!
PJM has nothing to do with AEP's request. AEP concocted this solution. PJM didn't say "boo" one way or the other. Hardly a mandate.
Now the City of Dublin is in a quandry... should it spend city funds to make AEP bury the transmission line, or route it somewhere else? Are the drawbacks of this new line too much for Ballantrae, or other residents of Dublin to bear? Where should they put the transmission line?
Does Dublin really need this transmission line? Are there other solutions? These are the questions Dublin should really be asking. PJM simply won't care if AEP doesn't carry out its current plan. The lights aren't going to go off. There are always alternatives.
Looks like AEP has a community opposition wildfire igniting. Just because the City swallowed AEP's fish story about mandates hook, line and sinker doesn't mean the people who would have to live with the new transmission line will.
It's never about where to put it, it's about whether to put it. Before spending millions of dollars of taxpayer funds, the City of Dublin has a little more investigating to do.
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