(Reuters) – Central U.S. electric grid operator Southwest Power Pool (NASDAQ:) (SPP) said on Wednesday it had applied for approval to add Western entities under its tariff to provide full Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) services in both the Eastern as the eastern part of the United States. western connections.
Arkansas-based SPP filed rate changes with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on June 4, including provisions for its Western members. If approved, SPP will become the first organization in the U.S. to provide RTO services on both interconnections, SPP said.
The operator said the expansion was expected to deliver more than $200 million in annual benefits to new Western members in Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, adding to the current $2.8 billion in benefits for existing members.
RTO manages electricity transmission over large areas, and expanding services improves reliability, efficiency and resilience, leading to significant cost savings and benefits for participants.
“The RTO provides unprecedented access to regional transmission and generation resources that will help us achieve our emissions reduction goals, add more renewable energy, manage customer costs and ensure the reliability of our electric grid,” said Travas Deal, CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities in a statement. .
SPP said that since October 20, 2020, it has been in contact with parties interested in evaluating the benefits and requirements of RTO membership and that the SPP RTO expansion would go live on April 1, 2026.
