AF1-176 Phase III Study Report
v1.00 released 2025-09-18 16:26
Corey 138 kV
155.682 MW Capacity / 300.0 MW Energy
Introduction
This Phase III System Impact Study Report (PH3) has been prepared in accordance with the PJM Open Access Transmission Tariff, Part VII, Subpart D, section 312 for New Service Requests (projects) in Transition Cycle 1. The Project Developer/Eligible Customer (developer) is Three Lakes Solar LLC, and the Transmission Provider (TP) is PJM Interconnection, LLC (PJM). The interconnected Transmission Owner (TO) is AEP Indiana Michigan Transmission Company, Inc..
Preface
New Service Requests meeting the requirements of Tariff, Part VII, Subpart D, Decision Point II, were included in the Phase III System Impact Study. The Phase III System Impact Study is conducted on an aggregate basis within a New Services Request’s Cycle, and results are provided in both (i) a single Cycle executive summary format and (ii) an individual project-level basis. The Phase III System Impact Study Results (for both the executive summary and individual reports) will be publicly available on PJM’s website. Developers must obtain the results from the website.
In accordance with PJM Manual 14H, section 4.7, PJM takes the following actions during the Phase III System Impact Study:
- PJM will retool load flow, short circuit and stability results based on decisions made by Project Developers or Eligible Customers during Decision Point II.
- PJM will coordinate with Affected System Operators to conduct any studies required to determine the final impact of a New Service Request on any Affected System and will include the final Affected System Study results in the Phase III System Impact Study, if available from the Affected System.
- The Phase III System Impact Study Results will be publicly available on PJM’s website; Project Developers and Eligible Customers must obtain the results from the website.
- PJM will tender draft final agreements to Project Developers or Eligible Customers.
The Transmission Owner takes the following actions during the Phase III System Impact Study:
- Verify Interconnection Facilities and Network Upgrades required to accommodate the New Service Request.
- Perform a Facilities Study. The Facilities Study in Phase III System Impact Study phase will be for the System Reliability Network Upgrades. The Facilities Study requirements are outlined in Attachment C of PJM Manual 14H. The study will be conducted pursuant to Tariff, Part VII, Subpart D, section 307(A)(7).
Decision Point III Requirements
At the close of Phase III System Impact Study, PJM will initiate Decision Point III (DP3). During DP3, the Project Developer will have 30 days to decide whether to proceed with their project. If the Project Developer elects to proceed, they should provide the elements defined in the PJM Open Access Transmission Tariff, Part VII, Subpart D, section 313.A. Additional information on these elements is available in PJM Manual 14H sections 4.8, 6, and 7.
As stated in PJM Tariff, Part VII, Subpart D, section 313.C, New Service Requests may not be changed or modified in any way for any reason during Decision Point III. A New Service Request must be withdrawn and resubmitted in a subsequent Cycle to the extent a Project Developer or Eligible Customer wants to make any changes to such New Service Request at this point in the Cycle process.
Adverse Test Eligibility
This New Service Request meets the Adverse Study Impact Criteria and has the option to either move forward in the Cycle process or withdraw at DP3 with cumulative Readiness Deposits refunded. See Readiness Deposit calculation below.
This section details whether a Project Developer or Eligible Customer qualifies for the Adverse Study Impact clause outlined in the PJM OATT, Part VII, Subpart D, section 313.B and Manual 14H, section 6.2.2. In order to qualify for an Adverse Study Impact at Decision Point III, the Network Upgrade cost from Phase II to Phase III must:
- Increase overall by 35% or more
- Increases by more than $25,000 per MW (Includes Costs identified in Affected System studies)
If a New Service Request meets the criteria above and chooses to withdraw the request, PJM will refund the cumulative Readiness Deposit amounts paid at the Application Phase, Decision Point I, and Decision Point II (RD1, and RD2 and RD3, respectively).
The below calculations show the computation of this New Service Request's Adverse Study Impact
General
The Project Developer has proposed a Solar/Storage generating facility located in the American Electric Power zone — St. Joseph County, Michigan. The installed facilities will have a total capability of 300.0 MW with 155.682 MW of this output being recognized by PJM as Capacity.
Project Information
- New Service Request Number:
- AF1-176
- Project Name:
- Corey 138 kV
- Project Developer Name:
- Three Lakes Solar LLC
- State:
- Michigan
- County:
- St. Joseph
- Transmission Owner:
- AEP Indiana Michigan Transmission Company, Inc.
- MFO:
- 300.0
- MWE:
- 300.0
- MWC:
- 155.682
- Battery Storage Specification:
- 486.32 MWh, 4.0-hr class
- Grid Charging:
- Yes
- Fuel Type:
- Solar/Storage
- Basecase Study Year:
- 2027
Physical Interconnection Facility Study
The transmission owner has completed the Physical Interconnection Facilities Study. This report is available for download.
Point of Interconnection
AF1-176 will interconnect on the AEP Indiana Michigan Transmission Company, Inc. transmission system at the Corey 138 kV substation.
Cost Summary
The table below shows a summary of the total cost estimates for this New Service Request project. In Phase III SIS, the interconnected Transmission Owner has performed a facilities study for the required System Reliability Network Upgrades. The Facilities Studies for the Transmission Owner Interconnection Facilities (TOIF) and Physical Interconnection Network Upgrades were performed by the Transmission Owner in Phase II and are available for download on PJM.com (see General Section for document links).
Based on the Phase III SIS results, the AF1-176 project has the following allocation of costs for interconnection. The Security amount required at DP3 is also shown below.
| Description | Cost Allocated to AF1-176 | Cost Subject to Security |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission Owner Interconnection Facilities (TOIF) | $1,095,657 | $1,095,657 |
| Other Scope | $0 | $0 |
| Option to Build Oversight | $0 | $0 |
| Physical Interconnection Network Upgrades | ||
| Stand Alone Network Upgrades | $0 | $0 |
| Network Upgrades | $1,996,401 | $1,996,401 |
| System Reliability Network Upgrades | ||
| Steady State Thermal & Voltage (SP & LL) | $23,682,596 | $23,682,596 |
| Transient Stability | $0 | $0 |
| Short Circuit | $0 | $0 |
| Transmission Owner Analysis | ||
| SubRegional | $0 | $0 |
| Distribution | $0 | $0 |
| Affected System Study Reinforcements | ||
| AFS - PJM Violatons | $26,274,960 | $0 |
| AFS - Non-PJM Violations | $1,496,302 | $0 |
| Total | $54,545,916 | $26,774,654 |
* Contributes to calculation for Security. See Security Section of this report for additional detail.
Definitions
Transmission Owner Interconnection Facilities: Facilities that are owned, controlled, operated and maintained by the Transmission Owner on the Transmission Owner’s side of the Point of Change of Ownership to the Point of Interconnection, including any modifications, additions or upgrades made to such facilities and equipment, that are necessary to physically and electrically interconnect the Generating Facility with the Transmission System or interconnected distribution facilities.
Stand Alone Network Upgrades: Network Upgrades, which are not part of an Affected System, which a Project Developer may construct without affecting day-to-day operations (e.g. taking a transmission outage) of the Transmission System during their construction.
Network Upgrades: Modifications or additions to transmission-related facilities that are integrated with and support the Transmission Provider’s overall Transmission System for the general benefit of all users of such Transmission System. Network Upgrades have no impact or potential impact on the Transmission System until the final tie-in is complete.
Notes
Note 1: PJM Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), Part VII, Subpart D, section 307.5 outlines cost allocation rules. The rules are further clarified in PJM Manual 14H, section 4.2.6. PJM shall identify the New Service Requests in the Cycle contributing to the need for the required Network Upgrades within the Cycle. All New Service Requests that contribute to the need for a Network Upgrade will receive cost allocation for that upgrade pursuant to each New Service Request’s contribution to the reliability violation identified on the transmission system in accordance with PJM Manuals.
Note 2: There will be no inter-Cycle cost allocation for Interconnection Facilities or Network Upgrades identified in the System Impact Study costs identified in a Cycle; all such costs shall be allocated to New Service Requests in that Cycle.
Note 3: For Project Developers with System Reinforcements listed: If this project presents cost allocation to a System Reinforcement indicates $0, then please be aware that as changes to the interconnection process occur, such as other projects withdrawing, reducing in size, etc, the cost responsibilities can change and a cost allocation may be assigned to this project. In addition, although this project presents cost allocation to a System Reinforcement is presently $0, this project may need this system reinforcement completed to be deliverable to the PJM system. If this project desires to come into service prior to completion of the system reinforcement, the Project Developer will need to request PJM to perform an interim deliverability study to determine if they would be deliverable for all or a portion of their output for each delivery year until the system reinforcement is complete.
Security Requirement
Per Tariff Part VII, Subpart D, section 313 (Decision Point III) A.1.a and PJM Manual 14H, section 8.6.1, Project Developers and Eligible Customers are required to provide Security in a form acceptable to PJM at Decision Point III which runs concurrently with the projects' Final Agreement Negotiation Phase. Security may be in the form of cash, letter of credit, or other form of Security acceptable to PJM (see PJM M14H, Section 6.4).
Security is calculated for a New Service Request based on the Network Upgrade costs allocated pursuant to the Phase III System Impact Study results.
Note 1: "Network Upgrades" referred to in the calculation include both (i) the Physical Interconnection Network Upgrades and (ii) the System Reliability Network Upgrades as shown in the Cost Summary table.
Security Due for AF1-176
Security has been calculated for the AF1-176 project(s) based on the Phase III System Impact Study results and is shown in the table below. This Security must be provided at Decision Point III through either a wire transfer or letter of credit or other form of Security deemed acceptable by PJM per Manual 14H, Section 6.4.
Security Due for AF1-176
Transmission Owner Scope of Work
AF1-176 will interconnect with the AEP transmission system via a direct connection to the Corey 138 kV Station. The estimates provided in this report are preliminary in nature, as they were determined without the benefit of detailed engineering studies. Final estimates will require an on-site review and coordination to determine final construction requirements.
The total preliminary cost estimate for the Transmission Owner scope of work (including TOIF and Physical Interconnection Network Upgrades) is given in the table below. These costs do not include CIAC Tax Gross-up.
| Network Upgrades | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTEP ID | Description | Direct | Indirect | Total Cost ($USD) | Allocated Cost ($USD) | ||
| Labor | Materials | Labor | Materials | ||||
| n9614.0 |
Corey 138 kV Station: Re-terminate Kenzie Creek - Corey 138 kV line. • Remove one (1) steel dead-end structure and associated conductor and shield wire along the Kenzie Creek – Corey 138 kV Circuit. • Install one (1) new 100’ steel, single-circuit, single-pole dead-end structure on a concrete foundation with an anchor bolt cage and two spans of aluminum conductor steel-reinforced 1033.5 (Curlew) transmission line conductor with 7#8 Alumoweld shield wire. |
$372,152 | $129,068 | $66,941 | $23,216 | $591,377 | $591,377 |
| n9613.0 |
Corey 138 kV Station: • Installation of one (1) new 3000A 40 kA 138 kV circuit breaker with associated control relaying. • Installation of one (1) three-phase 3000A circuit breaker disconnect switch. • Installation of one (1) three-phase coupling capacitor voltage transformer and associated structures for the line exit to the Hydramatic 138 kV Station. • Installation of one (1) H-frame dead-end structure for the line exit to the Hydramatic 138 kV Station. • Installation of associated and additional buswork, bus supports, jumpers, insulators, grounding, and foundations. |
$471,817 | $278,029 | $34,084 | $20,085 | $804,015 | $804,015 |
| n9612.0 |
Corey 1385 kV Station: Re-terminate the Hydramatic - Corey 138 kV circuit. • Remove two (2) steel tangent structures, one (1) steel dead-end structure, and associated conductor and shield wire along the existing Corey – Hydramatic 138 kV circuit. • Install one (1) new 90’ steel, single-circuit, single-pole, running corner direct embedded structure. • Install one (1) new 90’ steel, single-circuit, single-pole dead-end structure on a concrete foundation with an anchor bolt cage. • Install two (2) spans of alumunim conductor steel-reinforced 1033.5 (Curlew) transmission line conductor with 7#8 Alumoweld shield wire. |
$312,808 | $149,666 | $93,702 | $44,833 | $601,009 | $601,009 |
| Transmission Owner Interconnection Facilities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTEP ID | Description | Direct | Indirect | Total Cost ($USD) | Allocated Cost ($USD) | ||
| Labor | Materials | Labor | Materials | ||||
| (Pending) |
• Installation of a dual, direct fiber-based current differential relaying protection scheme for the generation lead circuit. • Extension of two (2) underground 48 count all dielectric loose tube (ADLT) fiber optic cables from the Corey 138 kV station control house to fiber demarcation splice boxes to support direct fiber relaying between the Corey 138 kV and Project Developer's collector stations. The Project Developer will be responsible for the fiber extension from the splice boxes to the collector station. • Installation of a standard revenue metering package, including three (3) single-phase current transformers (CT), three (3) single-phase voltage transformers (VT), associated structures and foundations, one (1) ethernet switch, and one (1) drop-in control module (DICM)-installed metering panel, for the generation lead circuit at the Corey 138 kV station. • Review and revision of the protective relay settings for the remainder of the Corey 138 kV Station. |
$632,240 | $310,507 | $103,733 | $49,177 | $1,095,657 | $1,095,657 |
Based on the scope of work for the Interconnection Facilities, it is expected to take a range of 25 to 26 month(s) after the signing of a Generator Interconnection Agreement (as this is a FERC connection) and construction kickoff call to complete the installation of the physical connection work. This assumes that there will be no environmental issues with any of the new properties associated with this project, that there will be no delays in acquiring the necessary permits for implementing the defined interconnection work, and that all system outages will be allowed when requested.
Note that the TO findings were made from a conceptual review of this project. A more detailed review of the connection facilities and their cost will be identified in a future study phase. Further note that the cost estimate data provided should be considered high level estimates since it was produced without a detailed engineering review. The Project Developer will be responsible for the actual cost of construction. TO herein reserves the right to return to any issues in this document and, upon appropriate justification, request additional monies to complete any reinforcements to the transmission systems.
Remote Terminal Work: During Phase 2 of the PJM interconnection process, TO’s System Protection Engineering Department will review transmission line protection as well as anti-islanding required to accommodate the new generation and interconnection substation. System Protection Engineering will determine the minimal acceptable protection requirements to reliably interconnect the proposed generating facility with the transmission system. The review is based on maintaining system reliability by reviewing TO’s protection requirements with the known transmission system configuration which includes generating facilities in the area. This review may determine that transmission line protection and communication upgrades are required at remote substations.
Transmission Owner Analysis
There were no network impacts to Distribution facilities identified by the Transmission Owner.
The Transmission Owner identified network impacts to Sub-Regional facilities as follows:
| Overloaded Element | Contingency | Rating [MVA] | Final Cycle Loading % | Contribution [MW] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 246464 05LAKE ST 69.0 - 246477 05NILES 69.0 CKT 1 |
AEP_P4_#9221_05KENZIE 138_J_SRT-A
CONTINGENCY 'AEP_P4_#9221_05KENZIE 138_J_SRT-A' OPEN BRANCH FROM BUS 243028 TO BUS 243631 CKT 1 /*05LAKEHEAD 138.0 - 05SURGES RD 138.0 OPEN BRANCH FROM BUS 243322 TO BUS 243360 CKT 1 /*05KENZIE 138.0 - 05POKAGO 138.0 OPEN BRANCH FROM BUS 243322 TO BUS 247539 CKT 1 /*05KENZIE 138.0 - 05KENZIE 69.0 OPEN BRANCH FROM BUS 243360 TO BUS 243631 CKT 1 /*05POKAGO 138.0 - 05SURGES RD 138.0 END |
73.0 | 116.1 % | 20.17 |
| TO | RTEP ID / TO ID | Category | Title | MW Impact | Percent Allocation | Allocated Cost ($USD) | Facilities Study |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Total: | $0 | ||||||
System Reinforcement: s2167.8
- TO
- AEP
- RTEP ID / TO ID
- s2167.8 / AEP_TC1_88
- Category
- SubRegional
- Title
- Line being rebuilt under TP2019142, s2167
- Description
- Line being rebuilt under TP2019142, s2167 Projected ISD 11-3-2025 246464 05LAKE ST 69.0 - 246477 05NILES 69.0 CKT 1
- Total Cost
- $22,800,000
Note: Although Queue Project AF1-176 may not have cost responsibility for this upgrade, Queue Project AF1-176 may need this upgrade in-service to be deliverable to the PJM system. If Queue Project AF1-176 comes into service prior to completion of the upgrade, Queue Project AF1-176 will need an interim study.
Developer Requirements
The developer is responsible for all design and construction related activities on the developer’s side of the Point of Change in Ownership. AEP interconnection requirements can be found here. Refer to AF1-176 Physical Interconnection Facilities Study for additional requirements found in the General Section of the report.
To the extent that these Applicable Technical Requirements and Standards may conflict with the terms and conditions of the Tariff, the Tariff shall control.
Revenue Metering and SCADA Requirements
The developer will be required to install equipment necessary to provide Revenue Metering (KWH, KVARH) and real time data (KW, KVAR) for their generating Resource. See PJM Manual 01, PJM Manual 14D, and PJM Tariff Part IX, Subpart B, Appendix 2, section 8.Meteorological Data Reporting Requirement
The solar generation facility shall provide the Transmission Provider with site-specific meteorological data including:Transmission Owner Requirements
- Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit)
- Atmospheric Pressure (hectopascals)
- Irradiance
- Forced outage data
The Project Developer will be required to comply with all interconnected Transmission Owner’s revenue metering requirements located at the following link: PJM - Transmission Owner Engineering & Construction Standards and in the Physical Interconnection Facilities Study.
Summer Peak Analysis
The New Service Request was evaluated as a 300.0 MW (155.68 MW Capacity) injection in the AEP area. Project was evaluated for compliance with applicable reliability planning criteria (PJM, NERC, NERC Regional Reliability Councils, and Transmission Owners). Potential summer peak period network impacts were as follows:
Note: The capacity portion of Generation Interconnection Requests are evaluated for single or N-1 contingencies. The full energy output of Generation Interconnection Requests are evaluated for multiple facility contingencies (double circuit tower line, fault with a stuck breaker, and bus fault).
The following flowgates remain after considering the topology reinforcements required by the cycle.
| Area | Facility Description | Contingency Name | Contingency Type | DC|AC | Final Cycle Loading | Rating (MVA) | Rating Type | MVA to Mitigate | MW Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATSI/ITCT |
19MON12-02LALLENDORF 345.0 kV Ckt 1 line
264612 to 241901 ckt 1 |
ATSI_P7-1_TE-345-025T_SRT-A-2
CONTINGENCY 'ATSI_P7-1_TE-345-025T_SRT-A-2' DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264594 TO BUS 256583 CKT 1 /*19LULU 345.0 - 18MOROCCO 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264594 TO BUS 264613 CKT 1 /*19LULU 345.0 - 19MON34 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264594 TO BUS 264839 CKT 1 /*19LULU 345.0 - 19MILAN 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264599 TO BUS 955780 CKT 1 /*19MAJTC 345.0 - J1062 POI 345.0 END |
Tower | AC | 101.76 % | 1660.0 | B | 1689.24 | 29.27 |
| ATSI/METC |
18MOROCCO-02ALLEN 345.0 kV Ckt 1 line
256583 to 238530 ckt 1 |
ATSI_P7-1_TE-345-022T_SRT-A-1_SENS
CONTINGENCY 'ATSI_P7-1_TE-345-022T_SRT-A-1_SENS' DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 238889 TO BUS 264594 CKT 1 /*02LEMOYN 345.0 - 19LULU 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 241901 TO BUS 264612 CKT 1 /*02LALLENDORF 345.0 - 19MON12 345.0 END |
Tower | AC | 111.86 % | 1793.0 | B | 2005.59 | 34.27 |
| ATSI/ITCT |
19MON12-02LALLENDORF 345.0 kV Ckt 1 line
264612 to 241901 ckt 1 |
ATSI_P7-1_TE-345-025T_SRT-A-1_SENS
CONTINGENCY 'ATSI_P7-1_TE-345-025T_SRT-A-1_SENS' DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 238889 TO BUS 264594 CKT 1 /*02LEMOYN 345.0 - 19LULU 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264594 TO BUS 256583 CKT 1 /*19LULU 345.0 - 18MOROCCO 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264594 TO BUS 264613 CKT 1 /*19LULU 345.0 - 19MON34 345.0 DISCONNECT BRANCH FROM BUS 264594 TO BUS 264839 CKT 1 /*19LULU 345.0 - 19MILAN 345.0 END |
Tower | AC | 104.14 % | 1660.0 | B | 1728.76 | 29.27 |