Press Releases
Southwest Power Pool now providing reliability coordination service in the west
Southwest Power Pool (SPP) launched its western reliability coordination (RC) service Dec. 3. SPP now ensures the reliability of the bulk electric system in the west on behalf of:
• Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.
• Black Hills Energy’s three electric utilities: Black Hills Power, Inc.; Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power Company; and Black Hills Colorado Electric, Inc.
• City of Farmington, New Mexico
• Colorado Springs Utilities
• El Paso Electric Company
• Intermountain Rural Electric Association
• Platte River Power Authority
• Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy)
• Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
• Tucson Electric Power
• Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Colorado River Storage Project Management Center, WAPA Desert Southwest Region, WAPA Rocky Mountain Region, and WAPA Upper Great Plains – West
SPP receives certification to provide Western Reliability Coordination service starting Dec. 3, 2019
On Nov. 15, SPP received certification from the North American Electricity Reliability Corporation for its Western Reliability Coordination service in the Western Interconnection. The certification confirms SPP has the necessary tools, processes, training, procedures and personnel to operate as a reliability coordinator in the west beginning Dec. 3, 2019.
Read MoreSouthwest Power Pool COO Carl Monroe announces plans to retire in Q1 2020
Carl Monroe, Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) executive vice president and chief operating officer, has announced plans to retire effective in the first quarter of 2020.
Read MoreSPP board directs construction of 44 transmission projects; elects new leaders
More than 120 Southwest Power Pool (SPP) stakeholders gathered in Little Rock on Oct. 28-29 for the annual meeting of members, held in conjunction with the board of directors and Regional State Committee (RSC). The board approved the 2019 Integrated Transmission Plan, requiring SPP members to construct 44 new projects, including 166 miles of 345-kV transmission. These upgrades will facilitate reliable delivery of lower-cost generation. They are expected to reduce SPP’s wholesale energy congestion costs by 21% on average, providing estimated future net savings of up to 23 cents on average monthly residential bills in SPP.
Read MoreReport: SPP had lowest average wholesale electricity prices nationwide in 2018
In the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s 2018 State of the Markets Report, the commission found SPP had the lowest average wholesale electricity prices in the nation in 2018.
Read MoreThree regional utilities announce decision to join Southwest Power Pool market
Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) announced Sept. 9 their decision to join Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Western Energy Imbalance Service (WEIS) market. When SPP launches the WEIS in February 2021, it will become the market administrator for these and potentially other utilities in the west. The market will centrally dispatch energy from these participants throughout the region every five minutes, enhancing both the reliability and affordability of electricity delivery from utilities to their customers.
Read MoreSouthwest Power Pool board promotes three to senior vice president roles
Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) executives overseeing the electric grid operator’s information technology (IT), engineering and operations functions were promoted from vice president to senior vice president roles July 31. Barbara Sugg is now the organization’s senior vice president of IT and chief security officer, Bruce Rew is now senior vice president of operations, and Lanny Nickell is now senior vice president of engineering.
Read MoreSouthwest Power Pool President and CEO Nick Brown to retire after more than three decades of leadership
At Southwest Power Pool’s Board of Directors and Members Committee meeting on July 29, President and CEO Nick Brown announced his retirement to be effective in April 2020. The board has engaged Russell Reynolds to perform a comprehensive search for his replacement.
Read MoreSouthwest Power Pool board approves policy recommendations to enhance reliability, planning and market functions
At Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Board of Directors and Members Committee meeting on July 29, the organization’s Holistic Integrated Tariff Team (HITT) presented 21 recommendations meant to:
• Ensure reliability for a changing generation mix and new technologies.
• Align transmission planning and cost allocation with SPP’s market and consolidated balancing authority.
• Enhance the Integrated Marketplace to reliably deliver low-cost energy to customers.
SPP proposes Western Energy Imbalance Service Market to bring cost savings and grid modernization to the west
Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has announced to western utilities its proposal for the Western Energy Imbalance Service market (WEIS) it intends to launch in December 2020. The wholesale electricity market will balance generation and load regionally and in real time. SPP’s previous energy imbalance market went live in 2007 and provided participants with $103 million in benefits in its first year of operation.
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