Challenges Ahead in Transmission Network Expansion Planning in ‎The Presence of Renewable Energy Sources; An Updated Review

Document Type : Review article

Author

Department of Electrical Engineering, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract
The significance of transmission network expansion planning (TNEP) in a restructured power ‎system is underscored by the urgent need to integrate renewable energy sources. As the world ‎shifts towards sustainability, effective transmission planning becomes critical for accommodating ‎diverse energy sources, particularly wind and solar, which are frequently situated far from ‎consumption centers. This integration is not only essential for achieving sustainability goals and ‎reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also for ensuring a reliable and efficient power supply. ‎Moreover, strategic transmission planning plays a vital role in minimizing congestion within the ‎network, which can escalate costs and compromise reliability. By anticipating future demand and ‎generation patterns especially the intermittent nature of renewables planners can optimize the ‎placement of transmission lines and substations to mitigate potential bottlenecks. In a competitive ‎market, a resilient transmission infrastructure is crucial for providing equitable access to all ‎market participants, thereby fostering innovation and competition. Additionally, effective ‎planning must address regulatory requirements and stakeholder interests, promoting transparency ‎and collaboration among various entities in the power sector. This comprehensive approach not ‎only ensures compliance but also builds public trust in the energy system. In summary, developing ‎an efficient transmission network is imperative for supporting a reliable, competitive, and ‎sustainable power system that prioritizes renewable energy sources. This paper aims to provide an ‎overview of the challenges ahead in TNEP while proposing necessary solutions to effectively ‎address these challenges‎.‎

Graphical Abstract

Challenges Ahead in Transmission Network Expansion Planning in ‎The Presence of Renewable Energy Sources; An Updated Review

Highlights

 

Transmission network expansion planning (TNEP) is vital for reliability in restructured power systems.
Effective TNEP integrates renewable energy sources, supporting sustainability and reducing emissions.
Proper transmission planning minimizes congestion, optimizing infrastructure for future demand and generation.
A robust transmission network fosters competition, resilience, and public trust in the energy sector's evolution.

Keywords


Declaration of competing interest
The author declare that he has no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The ethical issues, including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication and/or falsification, double publication and/or submission, redundancy, have been completely observed by the author.

 

Credit Authorship Contribution Statement
Abdollah Rastgo: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project ‎administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization.

 

Bibliography
Abdollah Rastgo holds a Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. degree in Power Electrical Engineering. He completed his ‎Bachelor's degree at Tabriz University and went on to earn both his Master's and Ph.D. degrees with honors from ‎Kurdistan University in Sanandaj. Dr. Rastgou has a keen interest in power system planning, bi-level planning, and ‎renewable resource planning. His academic journey reflects a strong commitment to advancing the field of electrical ‎engineering, particularly in optimizing power systems for sustainability and efficiency.‎

 

Citation

A. Rastgou, "Challenges Ahead in Transmission Network Expansion Planning in The Presence of Renewable Energy Sources; An Updated Review," Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 48-67, 2025.

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Volume 2, Issue 2
Spring 2025
Pages 48-67

  • Receive Date 11 March 2025
  • Revise Date 21 March 2025
  • Accept Date 26 March 2025
  • Publish Date 01 June 2025