Multi-attribute tradeoff analysis applied to long-term generation planning

Multiple attribute trade-off analysis (MATOFA) is a powerful tool which assesses all issues of interest in planning and decision making processes and provides the quality data required by an expert advisory group in its role as decision maker. All options, issues, attributes and uncertainties used in the process are defined by the advisory group. Analytical software such as EPRI´s EGEAS (Electric Generation Expansion Analysis System), then allows objectives to be traded-off against each other by performing detailed quantitative/numerical analysis of the effects of the various planning strategies. The application of MATOFA to long-term generation planning is discussed and illustrated by a simple example