LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) marked the 10th anniversary of its Integrated Marketplace March 1, 2024. The market, which includes day-ahead, real-time and congestion hedging components, has provided more than $10.2 billion in benefits to members of its regional transmission organization (RTO) since its launch in 2014. 

The value of SPP’s Integrated Marketplace has far surpassed initial expectations. Prior to its launch, studies anticipated the market would deliver up to $100 million in annual benefits to SPP’s 14-state region. In its first year of operation, the Integrated Marketplace delivered $380 million in net savings, paying for its development in just four months. SPP’s energy markets and RTO footprint have grown exponentially since then, delivering increasing value to the region. In 2023 alone, the Integrated Marketplace provided members $2.25 billion in annual savings. 

“The Integrated Marketplace is an important tool in SPP’s toolbelt. It allows us to provide low-cost reliable generation and additional economic benefits to the region,” said Barbara Sugg, SPP president and CEO. “I’m proud to celebrate this milestone anniversary and look forward to the market’s continued ability to increase value and affordability for our members.” 

SPP’s Integrated Marketplace identifies and deploys the most cost-efficient energy in a 14-state region to meet regional demand, balances the supply and demand of electricity in real-time and provides financial products that enable the reliable and affordable use of the regional grid’s transmission lines. In conjunction with SPP’s transmission planning and reliability coordination functions, its market plays a critical role in maintaining regional reliability as affordably as possible.  

SPP has served as a market operator for nearly two decades since designing and launching its first energy imbalance market in 2007. Since then, SPP has been committed to the ongoing development of its market solutions, working with members to continuously enhance its product offerings. In 2021, SPP launched the Western Energy Imbalance Services (WEIS) market, a real-time balancing market in the Western Interconnection. SPP is currently developing Markets+, a day-ahead and real-market designed to provide financial and environmental benefits and enhance electric reliability in the West.