Equipment in the power grid has ratings that indicate its power handling capacity under various conditions – like extreme temperatures – before potential failure. These ratings are crucial for grid analysis, helping to predict equipment overloads.
By comparing expected power flow with these maximum ratings, we can understand the grid's design limits and determine available capacity. Constraints are determined when equipment surpasses its applicable rating. Transmission upgrades increase these ratings by replacing or upgrading limiting equipment with higher-rated alternatives.
This information offers context on the constraint identification process but is not a point of focus for project developers.