Southwest Power Pool

About

We are Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization (RTO) dedicated to ensuring the reliable supply of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices for the millions of people we serve. Our journey began in 1941 when eleven regional utilities pooled their resources to support the critical wartime effort of powering an aluminum production facility in Arkansas. This spirit of collaboration and commitment to regional reliability has remained at our core ever since. After the war, the value of this coordinated approach was clear, and we continued our mission. As a nonprofit corporation, mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), we manage the electric grid and wholesale power market across a vast territory spanning parts of 14 states in the central and western United States. Think of us as the air-traffic controllers of the power grid; we don't own the power plants or transmission lines, but we direct the flow of electricity to ensure it gets from where it's generated to where it's needed, safely and efficiently. Our work involves coordinating the flow of electricity across approximately 60,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. We develop market and reliability rules, manage congestion on the grid, and operate wholesale electricity markets, including day-ahead and real-time energy markets. This ensures that supply always matches demand and helps to achieve competitive, fair, market-based prices. We are constantly working with our members and stakeholders, fostering strong relationships to responsibly and economically keep the lights on, both today and for the future. Our commitment extends to integrating renewable energy sources, and we've proudly seen wind become a primary fuel source in our region.