Carrie 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.
Bivens, most recently the executive director for regulatory and political affairs at NextEra Energy Resources, was chosen after a national search conducted by Lyceum Leadership. Her extensive experience as both a market monitor and a senior leader at a regional transmission organization (RTO) set her apart among many highly qualified applicants. She will fill the role vacated earlier this year by Keith Collins.
“We’re incredibly excited that Carrie is joining SPP,” said Ray Hepper, chair of the SPP Oversight Committee. “Her experience speaks for itself. She has detailed knowledge of electricity markets, especially as they impact RTOs. She’s carved a progressive career path, demonstrating leadership skills throughout. The SPP MMU will continue to provide an invaluable service to the region and grow under her guidance.”
Bivens’ resume includes 14 years with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) where she served in multiple leadership positions, most notably as wholesale operations director, providing strategic direction for market operations. She served for four years as ERCOT’s market monitor, during which time she dealt with myriad issues caused by winter storm Uri and the complex market design issues that arose after the storm. In this role, she interacted continuously with all levels of state government and senior leadership at ERCOT. At NextEra Energy Resources, she is responsible for oversight of policy and advocacy in ERCOT and at the Texas Public Utility Commission to support existing businesses and new development. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston.
"I'm deeply honored to be selected to fulfill this important role. I look forward to working with stakeholders and SPP staff alike to meet both the critical challenges of today and the future needs of the region," said Bivens.
The SPP MMU is tasked with monitoring and reporting possible abuses of market power and potential gaming in the RTO’s markets, monitoring market participants’ compliance with market rules, identifying market design flaws and recommending changes in design to improve the operation of markets and services for the benefit of consumers.