Transmission Line Routing Using Open Source Software Q-GIS

This article contends that planning for power systems is essentially a projection of how the system should grow over a specific period of time, given certain assumptions and judgments about the future load and the size of investment in generating capacity additions, transmission facilities expansion and reinforcements. Transmission line routing is one of the most important strategic decision-making problems for both private and public sectors. The major objective of a utility is to supply demand for power with a good quality of service, through proper planning of the system. This has led to development of methods which can be used to aid the decision-making process for selecting the best alternative. Geographical Information System (GIS)-based electricity transmission system planning strategies are proposed in this article to determine an optimum routing of feeders. Existing and proposed layouts have been drawn using a GIS-based software, Quantum Geographic Information System (Q-GIS). The developed system is based on the routing of transmission lines from Barh thermal power plant situated in Bihar, India.