A Reproducible Method for Mapping Electricity Transmission Infrastructure for Space Weather Risk Assessment

Abstract: Space weather impact assessment is constrained by the lack of available asset information to undertake modeling of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) in Extra High Voltage electricity infrastructure networks. The U.S. National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan identifies underutilized data as a central issue for improving risk assessment, motivating this research. Accurate GIC prediction is generally not possible without information on the electrical circuit, therefore we define a reproducible method based on open-source data, which enables risk analysts to collect their own substation component data. This process converts OpenStreetMap (OSM) substation locations to high-resolution, component-level mapping of electricity transmission assets by utilizing an innovative web-browser platform to facilitate component annotation. As a case study example, we convert an initial 1,313 high-voltage (>115 kV) substations to 52,273 substation components via Google Earth APIs utilizing low-altitude, satellite, and Streetview imagery. We find that a total of 41,642 substation components (79.6%) connect to the highest substation voltage levels (>345 kV) and are possibly susceptible to GIC, with a total of 7,949 transformers identified. Compared to the initial OSM baseline, we provide new detailed insights on voltage levels, line capacities, and substation configurations. Two validation workshops were undertaken to align the method and data with GIC assessment needs. The approach ensures consistency and rapid scalability, enabling users to quickly count components via a flexible web-browser application.