UPFC application on the AEP system: planning considerations

In 1995, American Electric Power (AEP), an investor owned electric utility company, completed detailed planning studies to resolve voltage and thermal loading concerns in parts of its Kentucky/West Virginia service areas. These studies led to the initiation of a project including a unified power flow controller (UPFC), which is currently being developed through a tailored collaboration by AEP, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Westinghouse). This paper describes the planning concerns, the study objectives, and the UPFC function in resolving these concerns. It also provides information on the UPFC modeling for system studies and its technical parameters that would be of interest to transmission system planners and other prospective users of this new technology.