Natasha Henderson named new director of system planning for SPP
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has chosen Natasha Henderson to serve as its new Director of System Planning effective April 3, 2023.
In this role, Henderson will direct the development of SPP’s Transmission Expansion Plan to effectively and efficiently address future needs, as well as oversee the development of engineering policies to support members, regulators and other departments and to comply with reliability standards and criteria.
“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Natasha to SPP,” said SPP Vice President of Engineering David Kelley. “She brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, coupled with extensive relationships with stakeholders and regulators across our region, which will serve her well as she helps lead the future development of our transmission grid.”
Henderson brings nearly 17 years of experience in the electric utility industry to her position. She joins SPP after a 12 year tenure with Golden Spread Electric (GSEC) where she most recently directed their regulatory and compliance functions for both the SPP and ERCOT markets. Additionally, she has held numerous positions in the SPP stakeholder process participating in and chairing various working groups and committees including the Supply Adequacy Working Group, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Market Operations and Policy Committee and the Economic Studies Working Group.
“I am truly excited to work with the strong talent and leadership within SPP,” says Henderson. “I look forward to utilizing my experiences to help the SPP system reliably and economically meet the challenges of our ever-changing industry.”
Prior to GSEC, Henderson worked in market operations with Westar Energy and in generation systems operations with Westar as a balancing authority. Her experience across both companies and in multiple markets has allowed her to develop relationships and to understand and appreciate the diversity of perspectives and common goals across the industry.