Press Releases
SPP names Kevin Bryant EVP, Stakeholder Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) incoming President and CEO Lanny Nickell announced Feb. 4 that Kevin Bryant will join the organization as its first Executive Vice President of Stakeholder Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer. In this new role, Bryant will oversee development and execution of SPP’s corporate strategy; lead the administration of SPP’s independent and inclusive stakeholder process; and direct the management of the organization’s relationships and communications with internal and external stakeholders, including member companies and market participants in the Eastern and Western Interconnections, neighboring utilities and grid operators, regulators, elected officials, the media and the public across SPP’s expanding service territory.
Read MoreSPP’s Markets+ tariff receives FERC approval
SPP’s proposed Markets+ service reached a significant milestone Jan. 16 when it received approval of its tariff by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Markets+ is the regional, day-ahead energy market developed in collaboration between SPP and more than 30 western entities, anticipated to launch in 2027. This milestone achievement allows participants to begin phase two of Markets+ development following the execution of phase-two funding commitments.
Read MoreSPP names Antoine Lucas as new chief operating officer
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced Jan. 14 that Antoine Lucas will become its executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) effective April 1. Lucas joined SPP in 2007 and currently serves as vice president of markets. He will succeed current COO Lanny Nickell, who was selected to serve as SPP’s new president and CEO effective April 1.
Read MoreSouthwest Power Pool board names Lanny Nickell as new president and CEO
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) board of directors announced Dec. 17 that Lanny Nickell has been selected to serve as the organization’s new president and CEO effective April 1, 2025. Nickell is currently SPP’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Read MoreSPP Projects Confidence in Meeting Energy Needs This Winter
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP), responsible for coordinating electric reliability in a 14-state area in the central United States, expects to have enough generation to meet energy demand this winter.
Read MoreCarrie Bivens named vice president of SPP Market Monitoring Unit
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) Board of Directors has named Carrie Bivens the new vice president of SPP's Market Monitoring Unit (MMU), effective December 2.
Read MoreSPP stakeholders celebrate 20 years, approve annual budget, elect 2025 board and committee members
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) convened its Board of Directors, Members Committee and Regional State Committee (RSC) Oct. 28 and 29 in Little Rock, Arkansas. At the groups’ quarterly meetings, the RSC conducted officer elections for 2025, and SPP stakeholders elected board and Members Committee representatives for new terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025. Stakeholders also celebrated the 20th anniversary of SPP’s designation as a regional transmission organization (RTO).
Read MoreSPP board approves $7.7 billion plan for transmission builds, upgrades
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — At its Oct. 29 meeting, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Board of Directors approved a historic $7.7 billion plan to expand and upgrade the region’s transmission capacity. The initiative represents a major milestone in serving increasing demand for reliable electricity throughout the regional transmission organization’s (RTO) service territory.
Read MoreSPP seeks industry experts to assess competitive transmission project proposals
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) is accepting applications to create a pool of industry experts. These experts may be chosen to serve on an independent panel to review competitive transmission construction proposals in 2025.
Read MoreSPP and its member organizations propose historic investment in transmission upgrades
On Oct. 15, SPP’s stakeholders voted in support of the single largest portfolio of transmission investments in the organization’s history. SPP’s Integrated Transmission Planning (ITP) process yielded recommendations for $7.7 billion in transmission projects that studies show will pay for themselves in a matter of years, return benefits at a rate of at least eight-to-one and address reliability needs across SPP’s service territory resulting from load growth, changes in the region’s generating fleet, resiliency from increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and more.
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