The Southwest Power Pool just gained a new member—El Paso Electric in Texas.
The utility joined the SPP’s Markets+, a new energy market designed to provide enhanced grid reliability across the Western United States. Oklahoma and 13 other states make up the Power Pool.
El Paso Electric is an energy provider that is engaged in generation, transmission and distribution service to power approximately 460,000 customers in a 10,000 square mile area from Hatch, New Mexico to Van Horn, Texas. Major cities in the service region include El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
This milestone decision follows an extensive evaluation process and builds on EPE’s prior experience as a participant in the California Western Energy Imbalance Market. SPP Markets+ will provide utilities across the region, including EPE, access to a diverse pool of energy resources, enabling a more efficient and reliable energy grid.
El Paso Electric believes its membership with the SPP will increase reliability, create cost savings and enable the seamless integration of renewable energy technologies into the grid.
The Southwest Power Pool, mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 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.