Data center-fueled demand growth continues to soar while reserve margins continue to shrink. Meanwhile, the timelines for building load versus building generation and transmission are wildly out of sync.

SPP stakeholders have endorsed the RTO's 10-year transmission plan and some of its proposed 765-kV lines, trimming about $2.5 billion in costs from the portfolio.

FERC approved SPP’s tariff change to offer a provisional load interconnection process so the grid operator can study potential data centers and other large loads when there isn’t available power for the new facilities.

SPP plans to continue working the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue’s portfolio of five 345-kV projects on its seam with MISO, despite the U.S. Department of Energy’s threat to pull $464 million in previously granted funds.

The $1.6 billion Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue transmission portfolio of SPP and MISO remains in play even though the Department of Energy has reneged on almost a half billion dollars in funding.

SPP staff have reiterated their position to defer part of the RTO's planned 765-kV transmission overlay, setting aside about $7 billion in regional projects from its 2025 transmission assessment.

FERC terminated a show-cause proceeding against SPP and accepted the RTO’s proposal to revise its collateral requirements for financial transmission rights by including an additional re-marking mechanism for seasonal products.

The U.S. Department of Energy has terminated 321 grants totaling $7.56 billion for 223 projects, apparently targeting Democratic-leaning states.

SPP says accelerating load projections will result in a 2025 transmission plan that dwarfs the previous year’s record $7.65 billion portfolio — so much so that it is considering deferring some projects until 2026.