By Tom Kleckner

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — SPP announced Tuesday it has named CAISO’s Keith Collins as the new executive director of its Market Monitoring Unit, effective June 1.

Collins was CAISO’s manager of monitoring and reporting and had been with the organization since May 2010. He will replace MMU Director Alan McQueen, who announced his plans to retire last year. McQueen will remain on staff to help Collins through a transition period.

In a statement, Collins said he was excited to work with SPP and its members “on the changing dynamics in the SPP markets. I believe my experiences will bring a unique perspective to these challenges,” Collins said in a statement.

When reached by RTO Insider, he declined further comment.

Collins will be leading a unit that was recently the subject of a 17-month audit by FERC over concerns the monitors lacked sufficient independence and separation from SPP management and staff. Oversight Chairman Joshua W. Martin III told SPP’s Board of Directors last week that the MMU is on track to complete the changes recommended by FERC’s audit. (See “MMU Nears Compliance with FERC Audit,” SPP Board of Directors/Members Committee Briefs.)

In December 2015, SPP fired two monitors who then went public with their concerns about the MMU’s lack of independence from the RTO. (See SPP Squelching MMU Independence, Former Monitors Say.)

At CAISO, Collins was responsible for identifying behavioral and market-design issues. He led market analysis of energy and ancillary services markets, congestion revenue rights and virtual bids, and led investigations into inappropriate market participant behavior.

Collins came to CAISO from FERC, where he served in the commission’s Office of Enforcement and oversaw its Electric Analysis Branch from 2004 to 2010. Prior to that, he was with LECG, an international economics consulting firm that focused on energy economics.

Collins holds a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and government from Bowdoin College.

The Oversight Committee, which oversees the MMU, voted to select Collins as executive director in April following a nationwide search. SPP said the search firm recommended Collins based on his experience and deep knowledge of wholesale energy markets.

“We had an exceptional pool of candidates, and we’re fortunate to welcome Mr. Collins to this role,” Martin said in a statement. “He will be a great fit at SPP. He has big shoes to fill but has the experience and expertise to do so successfully.”

Martin also thanked McQueen for delaying his retirement “until we found the appropriate candidate to assume his responsibilities.”