TransGrid holds largest ever planning forum

More than 90 representatives from across the Australian energy industry recently attended TransGrid’s Annual Planning Forum in Sydney.

“TransGrid is currently undertaking its largest ever capital works program, investing over $2.6 billion over a five-year period,” said Peter McIntyre, Managing Director of TransGrid, who opened the forum. “This year’s energy projections are an average of 3.8% higher than the projections in 2009, largely due to the strength of the NSW and Australian economies following the global financial crisis.”

The 2010 Planning Forum provided information to National Electricity Market participants and interested parties on the emerging constraints in the NSW transmission network, allowing them to better understand the potential impacts on their operations and proposals.

“This forum is part of TransGrid’s commitment to ongoing consultation with market participants to help facilitate the early development of proposals that may allow deferral or eliminate the need to upgrade the transmission network,” continued McIntyre. “During the summer of 2008/09, TransGrid implemented the largest-ever demand-management solution in the National Electricity Market for the Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong areas, which saved NSW customers more than $14 million.”

Forum participants heard presentations by TransGrid’s planning team on this year’s load forecasting, demand management and network support, and had the opportunity to ask questions on the connection of new-generation technologies to the transmission grid.