Optimal transmission network topology for resilient power supply

Abstract

An electric power supplier needs to build a transmission line between two jurisdictions. Ideally, the design of the new electric power line would be such that it maximizes some user-defined utility function, for example, minimizes the construction cost or the environmental impact. Due to reliability considerations, the power line developer has to install not just one, but two transmission lines, separated by a certain distance from one-another, so that even if one of the lines fails, the end user will still receive electricity along the second line. In other words, the optimal placement of the transmission lines corresponds to the topological design of a specialized unorthodox “supply chain”, where the multiple power lines serve towards the system’s resilience against catastrophic failures. We discuss how such a problem can be modeled, and in particular, demonstrate a setting that allows to solve the problem efficiently.