Generator_Spring 2023_Final

SPP partners with companies in 15 states
SPP is a regional transmission organization (RTO): a
nonprofit corporation mandated by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of
power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive
wholesale electricity prices on behalf of its members.
SPP helps ensure almost 19 million people across its service
territory have reliable and affordable power.
Southwest Power Pool dates to 1941, when 11 regional
power companies joined to keep an Arkansas aluminum
factory powered around the clock to meet critical defense
needs. After the war, SPP’s Executive Committee decided the
organization should be retained to maintain electric reli-
ability and coordination.
TOP GRID PRIORITIES:
ENSURE adequate generation to maintain reliability under
normal & extreme conditions
PROTECT the grid from cyber attacks
BUILD transmission to connect new generations and
customers to the grid
FACILITATE robust wholesale markets that make low-cost
energy widely available
REDUCE risks and costs associated with extreme events
2021 Annual Spot Map
Source: FERC 2021 State of the Markets Report
In 2021, SPP’s average wholesale
market prices were the lowest of
any organized market in the U.S.
SPP IS LIKE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
SOUTHWEST POWER POOL
Does not own airplanes,
airlines, or airports
Does not own the sky
it monitors
Directs air routes to ensure
airplanes and passengers
are safely transported
Does not own utilities, power
generators, or transmission lines
Does not own the land
electricity flows across
Monitors and directs regional
bulk power grid to ensure electricity
gets from where it’s made
to where it’s needed
12 | GENERATOR