Archive for category: General Information

On August 26th, effective at 12:30 p.m., the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 (EEA 1) due to the forecast of high peak loads caused by high temperatures, an increase in resource outages, and low output from wind and other variable energy resources (also known as a low VER forecast) leading into the peak hours for the day. An EEA 1 declaration does not require the public to conserve energy and does not indicate that SPP will be directing controlled service outages. Instead, an EEA 1 is an indication that while SPP has enough generation available to meet demand and fulfill its reserve obligations, conditions exist that could put reserves at risk if they worsen.

Once notified, the KMEA 24-hour Operations group relayed the grid condition to all KMEA cities via email and additionally began contacting by phone all cities with non-registered generation to make them aware of the possibilities of dispatches. All of our registered generation was either online or dispatched for future hours of the day.

According to KMEA Operations Director Tom Saitta, “All our member cities asked to run did not hesitate, and all others stood ready to help. Our cities’ generation performed great with over 100 MW of generation at peak.”

SPP ended the EEA event at 3:00 p.m. with no non-registered generation being dispatched. In total, KMEA member cities generated approximately 503 MWh with a peak generation of 101 MW.

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — At their August 5-6 meetings, Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Regional State Committee and Board of Directors approved increases to the planning reserve margins (PRM) member utilities are required to maintain in support of regional grid reliability. PRM represents the amount of back-up power utilities must have to guard against unplanned conditions or events on the regional power grid.

SPP’s action will further help the region prepare for extreme weather events and other circumstances that lead to higher-than-usual demand for electricity. Such episodes have become increasingly common in recent years, such as with Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Winter Storm Elliott in 2022.

SPP’s Regional State Committee and board approved minimum requirements of a 36% winter-season PRM and a 16% summer-season PRM, effective beginning summer 2026 and winter 2026/27. This means that load responsible entities in SPP’s region must have access to enough generating capacity to serve their peak consumption with at least 36% margin during the winter season and at least 16% margin during the summer.

This action marks the first time a winter PRM requirement has been defined separately from SPP’s summer PRM requirement and was taken to ensure member utilities appropriately acquire enough generating capacity for both seasons. The current 15% summer PRM requirement was previously applied to the winter season also. The new requirements support SPP’s efforts to reliably and continuously meet the region-wide demand for electricity from residents, commercial centers and industries throughout the SPP footprint.

The board also received a report detailing the challenges SPP and its members face with the increasing risk of having inadequate electricity supply to meet demand. The report, titled Our Generational Challenge: A Reliable Future for Electricity, is a comprehensive summary of SPP’s work to leverage diverse energy resources to meet the ever-rising demand for electricity. It calls for increased engagement, collaboration and consensus among government energy regulators, elected policymakers, utilities, regional transmission organizations and customers.

“As the real-time grid operator and transmission planner for a 14-state region, our job is to ensure electric reliability for millions of consumers. We’ve been successfully doing this work since 1941. But we can’t do it alone. A concerted, collective effort is needed to ensure we have a reliable power grid today and in the future,” said SPP Chief Executive Officer Barbara Sugg in the report’s opening statement. The report and an infographic are available at spp.org/ourchallenge. Sugg further pointed out that SPP is increasingly forced to issue grid advisories in winter and summer due to the heightened risk of inadequate power supplies during those times. She said harnessing enough energy to meet demand has become more and more complicated due to the rapidly evolving power grid. “Demand for electricity is outpacing supply from our generation fleet,” Sugg said. “While SPP always focuses on affordability, we need continued investment to add the generating and transmission facilities needed to mitigate risks and keep the lights on.”

About SPP: Southwest Power Pool, Inc. is a regional transmission organization: a not-for-profit corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure and competitive wholesale electricity prices on behalf of its members in 14 states. SPP ensures electric reliability across a region spanning parts of the central and western U.S., provides energy services on a contract basis to customers in both the Eastern and Western Interconnections, and is expanding its RTO and developing a day-ahead energy market in the west. The company’s headquarters are in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at SPP.org

We are excited to announce that David Nurse will be the keynote speaker at the KMEA Annual Conference on October 23 and 24. Registrations for members will open on August 26, so mark your calendars!

David Nurse has been transforming the way hundreds of NBA stars play on the court for most of his career. His innovative methods have been dubbed as training “athletes of the future” due to his unique ability to teach players how to tap into different mindsets and become unstoppable.

David’s impressive career includes writing two bestselling books, running a successful motivational coaching business, and being a highly sought-after speaker. His expertise has helped thousands of employees and athletes develop unshakeable mindsets. Recently, he was named one of the top 50 keynote speakers in the world by Real Leaders, making him the youngest speaker on the list.

As a former professional basketball player, David’s ability to get into the zone and master his mindset led him to achieve two Guinness World Records for shooting—an incredible feat. In 2016, the Brooklyn Nets hired him as a coach to help players improve their shooting. Under his guidance, the team went from being 28th in the league to 2nd overall in 3-point shooting. Over his career, David has worked with over 150 NBA players whose contract earnings total an astounding $3.2 billion.

Today, CEOs and professional athletes seek out David for his award-winning strategies and infectious positivity. His books, Pivot & Go and Breakthrough, which was an Amazon Best Seller on the day of its release, have empowered thousands to develop confidence and achieve success. These teachings are also at the core of his virtual coaching business, online workshops, and corporate speaking engagements.

We are excited to welcome him to the KMEA/KMGA Annual Conference and look forward to seeing you in Wichita!