SPP Issued Conservative Operations Advisory on July 29: KMEA Members Responded Swiftly

/in /by

On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) elevated its operational status to a Conservative Operations Advisory across its entire Balancing Authority (BA) footprint. The advisory was in effect from 1:50 PM to 8:00 PM, prompted by:

  • Forced generation outages
  • High electricity demand
  • Uncertainty in Variable Energy Resources (VERs), such as wind
  • Extreme heat across the region

During the advisory period, several KMEA member cities generated local power to support grid stability. Their contributions were instrumental in helping meet demand and maintain reliability:

City

MW Generated
Beloit 6.1
Gardner 65.9
Holton 67.4
Horton 5.9
Ottawa 65.4
Russell 31.9
Wamego 9.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These efforts helped ensure that the system remained stable, especially as wind generation performed close to forecasted levels.

SPP requested that Generation and Transmission Operators (GOPs and TOPs) take several actions to prepare for potential reliability challenges, including:

  • Updating resource plans and offer parameters
  • Reporting weather-limited resources and fuel concerns
  • Coordinating with SPP on outages and maintenance
  • Ensuring timely startup and run times for committed units
  • Reporting significant customer or load losses

Thanks to proactive measures and favorable wind performance, the grid remained stable throughout the advisory period. SPP did not escalate to Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 1 or 2, but KMEA remained on standby in case conditions worsened.

We appreciate the swift response and coordination from our member cities. Their efforts helped ensure reliable service during a challenging operational window.