SPP expands operations with 3 new members, 6 states
The Southwest Power Pool will gain three full members at midnight when it takes over operational control of the Integrated System. While it has been providing balancing services since summer, the shift tonight means SPP will add six states to its operational footprint: North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana and Wyoming.
“It’s a significant change for SPP, considering the amount of area we’re responsible for and the parties we’re responsible for as members,” said SPP COO Carl Monroe. “We’re extending our footprint and ensuring SPP’s members will get the benefits of our services.”
SPP officially incorporated the Integrated System on June 1, taking the RTO to 14 states and adding 5,000 MW of capacity and 9,500 miles of power lines. The addition of Western-UGP is the first federal power agency integrated into an RTO under FERC Order 2000, which encouraged voluntary regional transmission systems.
Lubbock Power & Light, however, has indicated it will leave SPP in 2019 to join ERCOT.
