SPP to be reliability coordinator for 15 western utilities

Little Rock-based transmission organization Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced several western utilities want SPP to provide reliability coordination services for them starting in late 2019. SPP has served as a reliability coordinator in the Eastern Interconnection for more than 20 years, and has received commitments from the following western utilities to ensure reliability for the bulk electric system in the West:

• Arizona Electric Power Cooperative
• Black Hills Energy’s three electric utilities
• City of Farmington, N.M.
• Colorado Springs Utilities
• El Paso Electric Co.
• Intermountain Rural Electric Association
• Platte River Power Authority
• Public Service Co. of Colorado
• Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
• Tucson Electric Power
• Three regions of Western Area Power Administration

“We’ve worked hard over the last several months to demonstrate the quality and breadth of our service in terms of technical expertise, a customer-centric approach to doing business and the integrity of our people and processes,” said Carl Monroe, SPP’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We’re excited that so many entities in the west have seen value in our offerings and to help our new customers bring unparalleled levels of reliability and service to the West.”

SPP has previously offered reliability coordination services on contract in multiple states and has expanded its services and territory several times in the past 10 years. SPP looks to provide reliability and cost savings to western utilities while lowering costs for existing customers.

SPP is working to finalize plans to govern and operate its reliability coordination services in the West, and some of the work will include filling positions related to system operations and engineering. The organization plans to build out the necessary systems, processes and staff over the next year, and will seek to be certified as a reliability coordinator in the second half of 2019. SPP also is working with Peak Reliability and California ISO to coordinate operations with other reliability coordinators in the Western Interconnection to allow for a smooth transition from one reliability coordinator to another. SPP expects to start offering its reliability coordination services in December 2019.