SPP names external affairs and markets leadership positions
Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the regional transmission organization (RTO) serving 14 states across the central United States, is pleased to announce two key appointments that will help shape and lead its pursuit of strategic opportunities and continued growth:
• Emily Shuart as senior director, external affairs and stakeholder relations, effective Sept. 2
• Carrie Dixon as technical director, market policy and operations, effective Aug. 4
Shuart will help lead SPP’s engagement with government officials, legislators, industry organizations and stakeholders. Working closely with Mike Ross, senior vice president of external affairs, and reporting to Kevin Bryant, executive vice president of stakeholder affairs and chief strategy officer, Shuart will help drive the organization’s external affairs strategy and strengthen collaboration across the SPP footprint.
“Emily brings an outstanding track record of leadership in energy policy and stakeholder engagement,” said Bryant. “As the electric grid evolves, her expertise will be instrumental in helping SPP foster productive dialogue with our partners and communicate the value we bring to the region.”
Shuart joins SPP from Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, where she most recently served as director of federal, RTO and environmental affairs. With nearly 20 years of experience in federal and state regulatory and legislative affairs, energy policy and stakeholder relations, she played a key role in shaping energy strategy and facilitating cross-sector collaboration throughout her career.
“I’m honored to join SPP and contribute to its mission of ensuring reliable, affordable electricity for millions of people,” said Shuart. “I look forward to working with stakeholders across the region to build on SPP’s tradition of transparency, innovation and service.”
Shuart holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma. She is board chair for Goodwill of Central Oklahoma and a trustee of The Nature Conservancy, Oklahoma chapter.
Dixon will help lead coordination and development of market policies in alignment with SPP’s goals, tariff and other governing documents and the evolving national regulatory and industry landscape. She will report to Carrie Simpson, vice president of markets.
“Carrie brings a wealth of expertise in market operations and policy development to this new leadership role,” said Simpson. “As SPP continues to evolve our markets to address rapid growth and changing resource mix, her insight and collaborative approach will be invaluable in shaping policies that ensure efficient, reliable service for all stakeholders across our region.”
She currently serves as principal, market policy, providing strategic direction for market operational issues and policies in support of Markets+. She has more than 15 years of electric utility experience, including operations, market design and regulatory affairs. Previously, she held leadership positions at NextEra Energy and Xcel Energy. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Denver.
“SPP is in a unique position to solve complex issues with innovative market policy and design,” Dixon said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to play this new part in leading SPP’s efforts on that front and to become more involved in our continued growth.”
Shuart and Dixon step into these roles as SPP navigates opportunities and challenges including rapid load growth, western expansion, integration of new technologies, and a continued commitment to reliability and stakeholder collaboration across the region.