Transmission System Expansion Planning Using Optimal Power Flow and Genetic Algorithm

Transmission system expansion planning (TSEP) is the process of identifying time, location, and the number of transmission facilities will be needed in the future. TSEP is an optimization problem with the objective to minimize the investment cost to ensure supply-demand adequacy, subject to constraints on the power balance and the apparent power capability limit of transmission lines. This paper presents transmission system expansion planning based on an optimal power flow and a genetic algorithm (GA). The OPF problem was solved by the PowerWorld simulator, and the GA was coded in Python and developed on the built-in SimAuto function in the PowerWorld simulator. The simulation results from a case study of a modified Garver's 6-bus power system show that the developed methodology can determine the optimal sites and capacities of transmission lines to be added to the system.