SPP region hits all-time record for electricity use
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On August 2, 2011 at 16:41, Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) set a new regional electricity demand record of 54,949 megawatts (MW), surpassing the August 1, 2011 peak of 54,534 MW. Before this week, the previous record of 53,146 MW was set on August 11, 2010. The peak forecast for August 3, 2011 is 54,621 MW.
“SPP serves as the 'air traffic controller' for the regional electric grid, and we have been working with our member utilities to balance real-time electricity supply and demand during this heat wave,” said Vice President of Operations Bruce Rew. “Despite record electricity use, we have successfully used our region's generators and transmission lines to meet demand and maintain grid reliability.”
This record is for SPP's Reliability Coordinator footprint, which includes territory in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. As the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Reliability Coordinator for SPP members in this area, SPP monitors the status of the electric power network around-the-clock to ensure electricity safely and reliably gets to end-use customers.
The record represents the combined demand SPP members served at a single point in time. SPP's wholesale energy market also set an all-time peak on August 2, 2011.
One MW will power about 500 average-sized homes during normal weather conditions and 200 homes during very hot weather.
About Southwest Power Pool, Inc.
Southwest Power Pool, Inc. is a group of 64 members in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, and Texas that serve more than 15 million customers. Membership is comprised of investor-owned utilities, municipal
systems, generation and transmission cooperatives, state authorities, wholesale generators, power marketers, and independent
transmission companies. SPP's footprint includes 48,930 miles of transmission lines and 370,000 square miles of service territory. SPP
was a founding member of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation in 1968, and was designated by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission as a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) in 2004 and a Regional Entity (RE) in 2007. As an RTO, SPP
ensures reliable power supplies, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices. The SPP RE
oversees compliance enforcement and reliability standards development. Read more fast facts or watch a video about SPP.