Statnett’s regional network plans are an important step in the development of Norway’s transmission network. They support the economically rational development of the grid by considering network investment and system operation in a joined-up way across broader geographic regions and multiple network levels.
The plans set out the investments and measures planned for each region. Statnett wants to improve future versions by developing the economic analysis that accompanies the plans.
THEMA, alongside several economics consultancies, supported efforts to develop the economic analysis used. THEMA looked at:
- how to use economic criteria to select between competing measures and decide when they should be implemented, and
- how the impacts of network investments on the economy can be included in the analysis.
To provide insight on the first of these, we have drawn inspiration from the network planning process in Great Britain. In particular, we have explored how quantifying and minimising regret can be used to inform decisions in the face of uncertainty.
We shed light on the second by exploring how economic impacts are estimated in other contexts and then considering how those approaches can be applied to network planning decisions.
You can read our report and more about Statnett’s regional plans via the links below (in Norwegian).
