The US Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has received approval from the country’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for its amended tariff, allowing seven Western entities to join SPP’s regional transmission organisation (RTO) services from April 2026.
SPP will become the first RTO in the US to offer full services across the Eastern and Western interconnections of the national power grid.
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On 4 June 2024, SPP submitted its amended tariff to FERC to facilitate the inclusion of Western entities in its RTO.
These entities were the Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Colorado Springs Utilities, the Deseret Power Electric Cooperative, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN), the Platte River Power Authority, the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and the Western Area Power Administration Colorado River Storage Project, Rocky Mountain and Upper Great Plains regions.
SPP’s RTO footprint, which received initial FERC approval in October 2004, will grow to cover 17 states with this expansion.
SPP president and CEO Barbara Sugg stated: “Expanding the RTO into the Western Interconnection is an exciting step in SPP’s growth, bringing value to new and existing members while enhancing reliability in both interconnections.”
SPP has been discussing RTO membership benefits and requirements with Western entities since 20 October 2020.
The expansion aligns with SPP’s strategic plan, Aspire 2026, aiming to integrate Western facilities into SPP’s market system, providing equitable value for all members.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association CEO Duane Highley stated: “The Western expansion of the SPP RTO bolsters reliability and resiliency for our members as we grow and diversify our resource portfolio while reducing emissions.”
SPP is also engaging with additional Western utilities interested in joining the RTO post-expansion and is developing Markets+, another market designed to add incremental value to the Western Interconnection.
Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Travas Deal stated: “With the complexities of today’s energy industry and the regulations that define it, an adaptable electric grid with access to both local and regional resources is essential for managing customer costs and maintaining service reliability.
“We strongly believe the SPP RTO will help us achieve this goal, while also connecting us with vital transmission resources as we pursue new and cleaner forms of electric generation.”
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