Understanding the Southwest Power Pool: What is Nebraska's agreement with SPP amid planned outages?
OPPD says Southwest Power Pool has provided help to Nebraska amid past floods, natural disasters
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Updated: 10:58 PM CST Feb 16, 2021
OPPD says Southwest Power Pool has provided help to Nebraska amid past floods, natural disasters
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Updated: 10:58 PM CST Feb 16, 2021
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OF A GREATER MAGNITUDE. ROB: BUT THE DEMAND DOES N STOP AT THE NEBRASKA BORDER. THE SOUTHWEST POWER POOL COVERS A 14-STATE REGION, THE IMPACT CAN AND DOES CROSS STATE LINES. JULIE: SO WHY DOESN’T OPPD G OFF THE LARGER GRID AND OPERATE ON ITS OWN KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S ALEXANDRA STONE TOOK THAT QUESTION TO THE COMPANY’S CE ALEXANDRA: OPPD PRESIDENT TIM BURKE SAYS FEDERAL REGULATIONS DATING BACK TO THE 1990S LED TO THIS SYSTEM WE HAVE TODA BURKE NOTING MOST OF THE UNITED STATES HAS THESE REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATIONS, HE SAYS BEING PART OF ONE HAS BENEFITTED US MANY TIMES THE OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT NAVIGATES A SECOND DAY OF PLANNED OUTAGES IN THE RECORD-BREAKING COLD. BURKE: WE ARE JUST FINDING THIS PERFECT STORM. ALEXANDRA: THE ORDERS COME FROM THE SOUTHWEST POWER POOL, WHIC MANAGES THE GRID FOR OPPD, NPPD, LES IN LINCOLN, AND UTILITIES IN 14 STATE OPPD JOINED IN 2009. BURKE SAYS THE WINTER WEATHER CAUSED POWER SUPPLY ISSUES I PARTS OF THE SPP SYSTEM IN OKLAHOMA AND THE TEXAS PANHANDLE, LEADING TO THE CA FOR NEBRASKA AND OTHERS TO HELP OU BURKE: THAT’S WHAT THE POWER POOL DOES, WE SHARE GENERATIONS ACROSS THE SYSTEM. ALEXANDRA: BURKE SAYS UTILITY PARTNERS STEPPED UP TO HELP US IN THE PAST, LIKE THE FLOOD OF 2011, WHEN THE FORT CALHOUN NUCLEAR STATION WASN’T GENERATING POWER. AND IN THE MOST RECENT FLOOD TWO YEARS AGO. BURKE: THE OTHER PARTS OF SPP HELPED OPPD DURING THAT TIME. AND WE DO THAT LIKEWISE OR OTHER THINGS THAT MAY GO ON IN THE REGION. ALEXANDRA: OFFICIALS WITH SOUTHWEST POWER POOL ADDRESSED THE PLANNED OUTAGES TUESDAY WHICH IMPACTED COMMUNITIES FROM TEXAS TO THE DAKOTAS BURKE: WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATI POWER, SINCE 1941. ALEXANDRA: SPP SAYS WHEN IT MAKES A REQUEST FOR A PLANNED OUTAGE, EACH UTILITY’S CUTBACK IS PROPORTIONATE TO IT’S AREA’S CONSUMPTION. LOCAL UTILITIES DECIDE WHERE THE OUTAGES HAPPEN. OFFICIALS NOTE GRIDS OUTSIDE SPP ARE FEELING THE STRAIN BURKE: THE OTHER GRID OPERATOR IN THE U.S. ARE FACING SIMILAR OR WORSE CHALLENGES. ALEXANDRA: INCLUDING PARTS O TEXAS THAT FALL OUTSIDE THE SOUTHWEST POWER POOL. HERE’S THAT MAP AGAIN, SPP COVERS NORTHERN PARTS OF T STATE. BUT MUCH OF TEXAS HAS IT’S OWN POWER GRID. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE ERCOT COVERAGE AREA LOST POWER SOME FOR OVER 36 HOUR >> THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’ TRYING TO PREVENT IS LONG DURATION OUTAGES THAT WILL HAVE CATASTROPHIC IMPACTS TO PEOPLE ALEXANDR THEY SAID IT IS REQUIRED TO TAKE THESE MEASURES. THEY ALSO POINTED TO UNCONTROLLED OUTAGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTR