In North America, Southwest Power Pool is one of nine Independent System Operators/Regional Transmission Organizations (ISOs/RTOs) and one of eight NERC Regional Entities. SPP is mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale prices of electricity.

ISOs/RTOs are the "air traffic controllers" of the electric power grid. ISOs/RTOs do not own the power grid. They independently operate the grid minute-by-minute to ensure that power gets to customers and to eliminate power shortages. Read more About SPP.

SPP provides the following primary services to our members and customers:

Tariff Administration: In 1998, FERC approved SPP to independently administer the Open Access Transmission Tariff. We provide one-stop shopping for regional transmission service with consistent rates and terms. Eligible users can access SPP's transmission system to transport electricity to wholesale customers. SPP ensures fair and open access to the transmission system for all customers. SPP processes an average of 17,000 transmission requests per month.

Reliability Coordination: SPP monitors power flow throughout our footprint. We anticipate problems and take preemptive action to mitigate operating limit violations. SPP coordinates regional response in emergency situations or blackouts.

Regional Scheduling: SPP ensures that the amount of power sent is coordinated and matched with power received. SPP's regional scheduling service reduces the number of entities with which SPP members and customers have to coordinate.
 
Market Operations: SPP's Energy Imbalance Service market monitors resource/load balance to ensure that less expensive power is used to serve load before expensive power, as long as system reliability is met.

Expansion Planning: SPP's planning process seeks to identify system limitations and develop transmission upgrades for increased capacity.

Contract Services: SPP provides reliability, tariff administration, and scheduling for non-members on a contract basis. Read more about the Independent Coordinator of Transmission (ICT) and Independent Transmission Organization (ITO).

SPP's Mission: Helping our members work together to keep the lights on … today and in the future.