230 kV transmission conductor selection

Recently Puget Power decided to standardize on a conductor for use on 230 kV transmission lines. This report is a summary of the selection process. The study began with the identification of nine ACSR candidate conductors, all of which meet minimum load capacity and audible noise criteria. in addition to cost, five other factors were considered important in selecting the best conductor. These five criteria were design, construction, maintenance, permitting, and capacity. A quick comparison of each conductor against each of the six criteria showed that none of the conductors was best in all categories. Since no one conductor dominated, it became necessary to establish the relative importance of the six criteria in order to rank the candidate conductors.