Southwest Power Pool names new vice presidents of markets, engineering

Little Rock-based regional transmission organization Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has announced changes to its senior leadership team.

Effective Jan. 1, Antoine Lucas, vice president of engineering, will start in a new role as vice president of markets. David Kelley, director of seams and tariff services, will become vice president of engineering.

According to a news release, Lucas will oversee the development, design and provision of all SPP market services. He will work with stakeholders to ensure continued provision of efficient and reliable wholesale electricity markets under the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff and develop additional services.

Bruce Rew, senior vice president of operations, will continue to lead SPP’s real-time operations, operational planning and analysis and reliability coordination efforts. Also, Rew will continue to oversee the expansion of SPP’s regional transmission organization footprint, including in the West and the Western Interconnection.

According to the release, the changes allow SPP to continue to focus on the reliable operation of the bulk electric system while managing its growing markets. These include the day-ahead wholesale Integrated Marketplace SPP has managed in the Eastern Interconnection since 2014 and in the Western Interconnection its Western Energy Imbalance Services market that began in February 2021 and the Markets+, a suite of market services being designed in collaboration with western utilities.

“I look forward to taking on this new role,” Lucas said. “I’m excited to partner with our great staff and stakeholders to build from the current success of SPP’s markets and meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

Kelley will be responsible for the ongoing development of SPP’s transmission expansion plan, administration of generator interconnection and transmission service study processes, management of regional resource adequacy policies and performance of engineering studies.

“I am incredibly excited to lead the talented, hard-working staff of SPP’s engineering organization and to continue serving our stakeholders in support of SPP’s mission,” Kelley said. “Our industry is ripe for innovation on so many fronts, and SPP is well positioned to deliver a brighter future for our region.”

Kelley has more than 20 years of experience in the electric utility industry and has served the past 14 years in various engineering and markets leadership roles at SPP. He also serves on the board of directors of the Division of Science and Technology of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana Tech University, an MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a licensed engineer in Arkansas.

SPP manages the electric grid across 17 central and western U.S. states, including Arkansas, and provides energy services to customers in the Eastern and Western interconnections.