hybrid optimization method for the transmission planning considering different voltage levels

In this article an alternative to solve the transmission network expansion planning problem taking the voltage level as a decision variable is presented. The idea is to benefit from the scale economies which appear when a circuit changes from a preestablished tension level to a higher tension level. Predefine the tension of the new circuits is less effective than taking the tension as one of the quantities that must be defined for the process of alternative’s evaluation. It is proposed a hybrid methodology to reduce the computational effort produced by the exponential growth caused for considering different voltage levels and investment alternatives. In this work, the meta-heuristic technique specifies where should be done the transmission line investments, meanwhile the heuristic techniques and the micro-genetic algorithm specifies the investment in new and existing substations. The developed methodology presented high-quality results.