Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approves Revisions to Southwest Power Pool's Open Access Transmission Tariff

Strategic Insights -

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a delegated order on May 16, 2025, approving revisions to the Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) Open Access Transmission Tariff (Tariff). The revisions, submitted by SPP on behalf of the North Iowa Municipal Electric Cooperative Association (NIMECA), aim to revise formula rate templates for various NIMECA member cities. The filing was publicly noticed, and no protests or adverse comments were received. The order grants notices of intervention, timely-filed motions to intervene, and unopposed motions to intervene out-of-time. The revisions will take effect on June 1, 2025.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a delegated order on May 16, 2025, approving revisions to the Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) Open Access Transmission Tariff (Tariff).
  • The revisions, submitted by SPP on behalf of the North Iowa Municipal Electric Cooperative Association (NIMECA), aim to revise formula rate templates for various NIMECA member cities, including Algona Municipal Utilities, Alta Municipal Power Plant, and 9 other municipalities.
  • The filing was publicly noticed, and no protests or adverse comments were received within the specified timeframe.
  • The order grants notices of intervention, timely-filed motions to intervene, and unopposed motions to intervene out-of-time, allowing various parties to participate in the proceeding.
  • The revisions will take effect on June 1, 2025, and do not constitute approval of any service, rate, charge, classification, or rule affecting such rate or service provided in the filed document(s).
  • The order constitutes final agency action, and requests for rehearing by the Commission may be filed within 30 days of the date of issuance, pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 385.713.

Statistics:

  • 10 NIMECA member cities are affected by the revisions to the Open Access Transmission Tariff: Algona Municipal Utilities, Alta Municipal Power Plant, Bancroft Municipal Utilities, Coon Rapids Municipal Utilities, Graettinger Municipal Light Plant, Laurens Municipal Light & Power, Milford Municipal Utilities, New Hampton Municipal Light Plant, Spencer Municipal Utilities, and West Bend Municipal Utilities.
  • 1 filing was made on April 1, 2025, by SPP on behalf of NIMECA.
  • 1 document, ER25-1841-000.docx, is associated with the FERC order.
  • 11 attachments, including attachments from 9 NIMECA member cities, are part of the revisions to the Open Access Transmission Tariff.

Sources:

  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Docket No. ER25-1841-000, Delegated Order, May 16, 2025.
  • Southwest Power Pool, Inc., Open Access Transmission Tariff, Sixth Revised Volume No. 1, Attachment H Addendum 26 Part 2 (Algona) (1.0.0).
  • Southwest Power Pool, Inc., Open Access Transmission Tariff, Sixth Revised Volume No. 1, Attachment H Addendum 26 Part 3 (Alta) (1.0.0).
  • ... (continuing with the list of 11 attachments)