Tri-level Transmission Expansion Planning Considering Intentional Attacks-Part I

What is it about?

This paper presents a tri-level model to minimize the destructive impacts of intentional attacks. The lower level of the problem is the operation of the transmission network which minimizes the operating cost. The middle level of the problem is an attacker’s problem which is to maximize the operating costs by destroying transmission lines. And finally, the upper level is the problem of network planner which minimizes the system costs: transmission line construction cost and operating cost. This problem is a static and single-load-block transmission expansion planning (TEP) model.

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Why is it important?

The major contribution and charm of this paper are proposing a new formulation in the middle level so that the whole problem becomes a mixed integer linear programming (MILP). Instead of assuming a unique attacker, authors assume a Nash game of multiple virtual attackers of which every attacker is to maximize the operating cost by attacking one line. The equilibrium constraints of this game and a constraint to enforce Pareto efficiency are added together to become the middle-lower level equivalent.