An integrated planning approach towards the increasing of RES integration and optimization of connection solutions

As part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, there has been a rapid increase in requests for connection of renewable energy sources (RESs) to the grid. The incentives provided by the EU package, the technological development and falling costs of RES infrastructure have led to an exponential increase in connection requests to the sub-transmission and transmission networks. These figures underline the importance of monitoring and anticipating the impact of the growth of renewable energy through investments in infrastructure and energy management, making the TSO a leading player in the energy transition. In this article, after a brief introduction to the Italian regulation regarding the connection of RES to the EHV and HV grid, the authors investigate a methodology for integrated infrastructure planning decision support, including economic and technical aspects, considering the external constraints stemming from regulation.