New study increases estimated benefits of proposed SPP RTO West

A recently released study by the Brattle Group regarding the Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) proposed Regional Transmission Organization expansion from its Western Energy Imbalance Service (WEIS) estimates benefits between $55 million and $73 million annually for participants, depending on hydrologic conditions.

A previous Brattle study, completed in 2020, estimated savings of $49 million annually for WEIS participants. The new Brattle Group study took into consideration multiple factors including updated resource plans, market rules, fuel prices and system conditions, the inclusion of Colorado Springs Utilities in the WEIS and RTO West and low hydro sensitivity due to drought conditions.

The Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska is among several regional utilities that are current participants in SPP’s WEIS and prospective participants of SPP’s western RTO expansion. SPP has established a goal of March 2023 for utilities to indicate their intent to participate in the initial expansion of the SPP RTO into the western interconnection.