Southwest Power Pool
Encyclopedia
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is the oldest North America
n Reliability Organization still in operation. SPP's story began in the early days of WWII
, when America was furiously ramping up production of weapons and military supplies. After entering the War, the USA had an immediate and crucial need to produce aluminum for aircraft manufacture. Alcoa and Reynolds Metals Company established themselves in Arkansas which had the largest commercially exploitable Bauxite deposit at that time. Additionally, in 1941, a government agency called Defense Plant Corporation opened a plant in Jones Mill, Arkansas with the intent of operating 24/7 to supply the war effort. The government leased the plant to Alcoa for operations. The Jones Mill Plant alone required 120,000KW of electrical power to operate and this exceeded the entire generation of the state (100,000KW PEAK excluding outages). Due to the war effort, there was not enough man power nor raw materials to build further electrical generation. Executives of power utilities in the Southwest decided to pool their generation resources together to ensure reliability and dependability for this region of the US during the wartime. The existence of Southwest Power Pool was out of necessity and scarcity. After the war, the Executives saw the expertise and efficiency that was created and decided to remain as a Power Pool.
), Louisiana Power & Light (a subsidiary of Entergy
), Mississippi Power & Light, Southwestern Gas and Electric, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Nebraska Power, Texas Power & Light, Southern Light and Power, Oklahoma Gas and Electric, Kansas Gas and Electric, and Empire District Electric.
SPP was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in 1994, and was approved as a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)
by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
in 2004. SPP is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) authority. NERC and the regional reliability councils were formed following the Northeast Blackout of 1965
. SPP's mission statement is "Helping our members work together to keep the lights on...today and in the future." SPP competes directly with MISO.
The SPP region lies within the Eastern Interconnection
, in the central Southern United States
, serving all of the States of Kansas
and Oklahoma
, and portions of New Mexico
, Texas
, Arkansas
, Louisiana
, Missouri
and Nebraska
. SPP members include investor-owned utilities, municipal systems, generation and transmission cooperatives, state authorities, independent power producers, and power marketers. SPP has many of the high voltage
direct current (DC)
ties which connect the Eastern interconnection to the Western Interconnection
and both of the DC ties to the ERCOT Texas Interconnection
.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Reliability Organization still in operation. SPP's story began in the early days of WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when America was furiously ramping up production of weapons and military supplies. After entering the War, the USA had an immediate and crucial need to produce aluminum for aircraft manufacture. Alcoa and Reynolds Metals Company established themselves in Arkansas which had the largest commercially exploitable Bauxite deposit at that time. Additionally, in 1941, a government agency called Defense Plant Corporation opened a plant in Jones Mill, Arkansas with the intent of operating 24/7 to supply the war effort. The government leased the plant to Alcoa for operations. The Jones Mill Plant alone required 120,000KW of electrical power to operate and this exceeded the entire generation of the state (100,000KW PEAK excluding outages). Due to the war effort, there was not enough man power nor raw materials to build further electrical generation. Executives of power utilities in the Southwest decided to pool their generation resources together to ensure reliability and dependability for this region of the US during the wartime. The existence of Southwest Power Pool was out of necessity and scarcity. After the war, the Executives saw the expertise and efficiency that was created and decided to remain as a Power Pool.
Members and Company Status
Southwest Power Pool was formed on December 14, 1941 with eleven regional utilities entering into an Inter-Company Agreement. The eleven companies were: Arkansas Power & Light (a subsidiary of EntergyEntergy
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. It is headquartered in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:...
), Louisiana Power & Light (a subsidiary of Entergy
Entergy
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. It is headquartered in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:...
), Mississippi Power & Light, Southwestern Gas and Electric, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Nebraska Power, Texas Power & Light, Southern Light and Power, Oklahoma Gas and Electric, Kansas Gas and Electric, and Empire District Electric.
SPP was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in 1994, and was approved as a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)
Regional Transmission Organization
A regional transmission organization in the United States is an organization that is responsible for moving electricity over large interstate areas. Like a transmission system operator , an RTO coordinates, controls and monitors an electricity transmission grid that is larger with much higher...
by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
in 2004. SPP is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) authority. NERC and the regional reliability councils were formed following the Northeast Blackout of 1965
Northeast Blackout of 1965
The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on November 9, 1965, affecting Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States...
. SPP's mission statement is "Helping our members work together to keep the lights on...today and in the future." SPP competes directly with MISO.
The SPP region lies within the Eastern Interconnection
Eastern Interconnection
The Eastern Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major interconnection is the Western Interconnection...
, in the central Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, serving all of the States of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and portions of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. SPP members include investor-owned utilities, municipal systems, generation and transmission cooperatives, state authorities, independent power producers, and power marketers. SPP has many of the high voltage
High voltage
The term high voltage characterizes electrical circuits in which the voltage used is the cause of particular safety concerns and insulation requirements...
direct current (DC)
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
ties which connect the Eastern interconnection to the Western Interconnection
Western Interconnection
The Western Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major wide area synchronous grid is the Eastern Interconnection...
and both of the DC ties to the ERCOT Texas Interconnection
Texas Interconnection
The Texas Interconnection is one of the three minor alternating current power grids in North America. The other two minor interconnections are the Québec Interconnection and the Alaska Interconnection...
.
See also
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)