The Advanced Power Alliance (APA) today applauded the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Board of Directors for approving the first phase of the long-anticipated Consolidated Planning Process (CPP), a revolutionary modernization of the transmission planning and generation interconnection framework across SPP’s 14-state region. The CPP streamlines SPP’s regional planning processes, delivers faster and more certain cost for generation interconnection, more transparent, and more cost-effective infrastructure development to meet growing energy needs across the central United States.
This action represents a major milestone in modern grid planning and is the culmination of years of hard work by APA, SPP staff, regulators, utilities, renewable energy developers, and advocates from across the region.
“With the approval of the Consolidated Planning Process, SPP has taken a transformative step toward building the transmission network we need for a reliable, affordable, and modern electric grid,” said Steve Gaw, Senior Vice President for Infrastructure at the Advanced Power Alliance, “This new approach not only improves the way we study and plan for transmission projects, but it also helps ensure that most generation costs are known up front in planned locations, making interconnection far faster and solving the problem of clogged generation queues that have plagued the industry across the country for years. CPP was formed with a goal of balanced approach for all stakeholders, striving for a fair allocation of costs that allows more cost-effective design of transmission considering all needs together. It is an efficient, forward-looking model that other regions should take note of.”
The CPP replaces multiple overlapping and siloed study processes with a unified framework that increases coordination for load and generation, reduces delays, and delivers major cost savings by avoiding project duplication. By shortening study timelines, including the need for restudies and reducing planning redundancies, the new process clears a path for timelier interconnection of new energy resources, including wind, solar, storage, and other advanced technologies.
“Grid planning has always been a technically complex and challenging undertaking,” Gaw added. “That’s why this achievement is so meaningful. It reflects years of collaboration among stakeholders and a shared commitment to do what’s best for consumers and the reliability of the grid. We commend all who contributed to this outcome.”
The Advanced Power Alliance has been an active participant in the multi-year stakeholder engagement process leading to the CPP’s approval. Through conceptual and technical input, public comments, and direct engagement with state and regional decision-makers, APA and its members have consistently advocated for reforms to ensure the region’s transmission network keeps pace with evolving energy demands and resource development.
The newly approved CPP positions SPP well for the future at a time when grid resilience, reliability, and affordability are more important than ever. This filing is just the beginning of the effort. Substantial work on the details of CPP and Phase 2, which could also allow faster interconnections of load in the region, lie ahead. The Advanced Power Alliance looks forward to continuing its work with SPP and stakeholders across the region to implement this new planning framework and accelerate the build-out of the infrastructure needed for a 21st-century energy economy.
For more information on the Consolidated Planning Process, visit: https://www.spp.org/news-list/spp-consolidated-planning-process-to-reduce-costs-and-help-meet-nation-s-growing-energy-needs