By Tom Kleckner
SPP COO Carl Monroe, one of the key players behind the grid operator’s growing footprint, has said he will retire in early 2020.
Monroe is a 22-year veteran with SPP. As executive vice president and COO, he has been responsible for operations across the RTO’s 14-state balancing authority area and administration of the wholesale electricity market.
“It has been the opportunity of a lifetime to work at SPP and a privilege to work alongside such bright, talented and caring people in the interest of a worthwhile shared mission,” Monroe said in a statement. “SPP is poised for continued success, which I’ll observe with great interest, but the time is right for me to begin a new chapter with regard to family, travel and other experiences.”
“I’ve had the great privilege of working with Carl during his entire career at SPP,” Mike Wise of Golden Spread Electric Cooperative — one of the RTO’s more prominent members — told RTO Insider. “I believe his personal efforts, contributions and leadership were critical to the tremendous development and success of the Southwest Power Pool.”
Monroe has been credited with the expansion of SPP’s service territory from eight to all or part of 14 states. He also led the organization’s recent growth into the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, where the RTO will begin offering reliability coordination and market services over the next two years.
“In nearly 15 years as a director at SPP, I’ve met no one with greater knowledge of markets and operations or with such ability to collaboratively address complex issues,” Board of Directors Chair Larry Alternbaumer said.
“Carl has helped to shepherd us through tremendous change and growth. We just wouldn’t be where we are today without his leadership,” CEO Nick Brown said.
An SPP spokesman said Monroe’s responsibilities for westward expansion, implementing the Holistic Integrated Tariff Team’s recommendations and other duties “will be transitioned to other members of the officer team.”
Monroe’s retirement — along with Brown’s in April 2020 and the year-end departures of former board Chair Jim Eckelberger and Directors Phyllis Bernard and Harry Skilton — will wipe out much of the leadership that has been in place at SPP since 2004.
The COO vacancy has opened up a potential slot for inside candidates for Brown’s position. SPP is looking at both internal and external candidates for the CEO’s position.
Monroe joined SPP from Entergy, originally being hired to manage the RTO’s growing information technology department. He was elected as an officer and promoted to executive vice president and COO in 2004.
