“Massive change, massive challenges, massive opportunities,” SPP CEO Lanny Nickell said in kicking off the grid operator's second Energy Synergy Summit that focused on meeting data center growth.

SPP stakeholders have overwhelmingly endorsed a conditional interconnection process for large loads that will be paired with two other FERC-approved processes.

FERC approved SPP tariff additions that deploy novel study processes to quickly review requests for “high-impact” large loads seeking to interconnect to its system.

SPP’s Board of Directors has approved a pair of contentious measures that were put aside during its August quarterly meeting, a tariff change to integrate and operate high-impact large loads and a revised cost estimate for a 765-kV transmission project.

SPP stakeholders have approved a revised version of the grid operator’s fast-track study to integrate high-impact large loads during a special virtual meeting of the Markets and Operations Policy Committee.

SPP’s Board of Directors agreed to defer action on a 765-kV transmission project with a ballooning cost estimate and staff’s large load integration policy, both the source of much stakeholder discussion.