Taking environmental constraints into account in the planning of the extra high voltage transmission network; EDF's approach

As EDF is experiencing increasing difficulties in developing its transmission network, the time may have come to reconsider the projects selection method. In this paper, the authors point out that the currently used method essentially relies on a classical discounted balance criterion. They then present a new method which takes into account the impact of a project on the environment, by considering an environmental risk which may jeopardize the project's success. This method helps to evaluate the probability that each possible route of each project will be carried through. A simple probability computation then allows the derivation of a global comparison of the eligible projects on the basis of an expected discounted balance criterion. Experiments now in progress will help to decide upon this method's efficiency in the context of its operational use.