Press Releases
FERC requests additional information regarding Markets+ tariff filing; SPP coordinating response
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) received a letter from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on July 31 requesting additional information regarding the grid operator’s March 29 Markets+ tariff filing. SPP has already begun work considering these requests and is preparing responses that SPP leaders are confident will adequately demonstrate readiness to build and launch a regional, day-ahead market that effectively and equitably serves customers across the Western Interconnection.
Read MoreSPP files expanded regional transmission organization tariff to include western entities
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) reached a significant milestone June 4, when it filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) amendments to its tariff that include provisions specific to its western members. Pending FERC’s approval, SPP will become the first organization in the U.S. to provide full regional transmission organization (RTO) services in both the Eastern and Western Interconnections of the nation’s power grid beginning in early 2026.
Read MoreWestern utilities express support for continued Markets+ development
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) received a letter Friday, April 12 from 26 western entities indicating their support for continued development of Markets+. The letter is signed by organizations from the Pacific Northwest, Desert Southwest and Mountain West regions, which together represent approximately 57 GW of peak demand across ten states and one province in the Western Interconnection. The group highlights preferred aspects of the proposed market’s unique design and governance structure.
Read MoreSouthwest Power Pool Completes and Files Markets+ Tariff with Collaboration and Support from Western Stakeholders
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) reached a significant milestone in the development of its western day-ahead electricity market on Friday, March 29 when it filed its Markets+ tariff with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The achievement underscores SPP’s leadership in market development and dedication to fostering fair and equitable partnerships that prioritize the interests of all parties involved.
Read MoreSPP marks milestones and progress across western efforts in early November
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Since 2019 when Southwest Power Pool (SPP) officially became a reliability coordinator for several utilities in the Western Interconnection, the grid operator has steadily grown its western customer base and portfolio of western services. The first two weeks of November 2023 have seen SPP make significant progress in continuing to advance three of those services: its operation of the Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) on behalf of Western Power Pool; Markets+, SPP’s proposed bundle of day-ahead and real-time market services; and expansion of SPP’s regional transmission organization (RTO) services into the Western Interconnection.
Read MoreSPP RTO will expand with commitments from western utilities
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) will soon become the first organization in the U.S. to provide full regional transmission organization (RTO) services in both the Eastern and Western Interconnections of the nation’s power grid. SPP has received commitments from seven western utilities to become full members in the RTO. Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Colorado Springs Utilities, Deseret Generation and Transmission Cooperative, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN), Platte River Power Authority, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and three regions of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)—Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP), Rocky Mountain Region (RM) and Upper Great Plains-West (UGP)—are preparing to join the RTO in early 2026. The expansion of SPP’s service territory is expected to create economic and reliability benefits for its member companies through access to a larger generation fleet, greater geographic diversity, and increased trading opportunities in SPP’s energy markets.
Read MoreSPP’s Western Energy Imbalance Service Market (WEIS) provides millions in benefits, more than doubles in size
Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) 2022 WEIS Benefit of Market Report assesses the benefits that its regional, real-time Western Energy Imbalance Service Market (WEIS) provides participants. Its analysis estimates that the WEIS provided $31.7 million in net benefits to its 12 participating western utilities in 2022 at a benefit-to-cost ratio of 7-to-1. With the April 1 addition to the market of Xcel Energy-Colorado, Platte River Power Authority and Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC, SPP anticipates the benefits of the WEIS will grow significantly in the future.
Read MoreSPP’s development of Markets+ underway with funding and participation from diverse western stakeholders
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Markets+ initiative reached a significant milestone on April 1: the deadline for interested parties to execute agreements to participate in the first phase of the market’s development. With development already underway after funding reached a critical mass a month ahead of schedule, 31 entities have now officially joined the effort to develop and launch Markets+ and bring the benefits of regionalization to the Western Interconnection.
Read MoreSPP’s independent and inclusive Markets+ governance model allows diverse voices to drive western market development
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced details of the governance structure that will oversee phase-one development of Markets+, its day-ahead and real-time western market. The Markets+ phase-one governance structure will have decision-making authority regarding market tariff language, protocols and governing documents to be filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Read MoreMarkets+ phase one development confirmed with first western market commitments
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced several parties have executed funding agreements for the development of Markets+, its western energy market. With the commitment of Arizona Public Service, Bonneville Power Administration, Chelan County Public Utility District, NV Energy, Powerex Corp., Puget Sound Energy, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power, the next phase of Markets+ development will begin immediately, ahead of the planned start date of April 1. SPP has also executed stakeholder agreements with participants who do not serve load or own generation but, while not contributing to funding Markets+ in phase one, will participate in the development of the Markets+ stakeholder process.
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