SPP Updates: Revision Request 696 Scuttle and Details of the Multipath Bonanza for Developers Who Get It

Looks like SPP's proposals will get through, but stakeholders will be stakeholders.

What Happened This Week in the Stakeholder Process

SPP rule revision request- RR 696, formally titled “Integrate & Operate High Impact Large Loads,” was rejected yesterday by stakeholders at SPP’s MOPC (7/16).

• Averaged Approval: 53.73%

• Percentage of TU's Approving: 38.71%

• Percentage of TO's Approving: 68.75%

A motion was made on the floor to hold a special MOPC workshop with further consideration of RR696 no later than the end of September 2025, which passed with 69.85% average approval. In the words of my friend Jim, who goes to these meetings and spares me the trouble, “the MOPC is signaling to the SPP Board not to make any decisions yet because they are generally supportive but need more time to digest and provide feedback and redlines. Stakeholders were generally opposed to the pace of the proposal, not necessarily the merits. The SPP Board technically has the authority to approve RR696 without stakeholder approval, but more likely than not, the Board will not push this through and may let the stakeholder process extend another month or two.”

Interestingly, and quite obviously, SPP re-stated the obvious at this meeting: there are very few data centers actually routing to SPP states, so missing out on the economic opportunities is not an option. Lanny Nickell’s opener slide at the July 1, 2025 introductory meeting stated that ““We’re at a turning point. This isn’t just about adapting to growth — it’s about leading it.”

The SPP Board could still bring the matter to a vote at its August 4, 2025 Board meeting even with the expressed intent of stakeholders to push things out to September - feedback from any special meetings the MOPS takes between now and August 4, 2025 could influence the materials presented at the Board meeting for consideration.

More Engagement Coming - July 25

Joint Large Load Integration Stakeholder Engagement Forum

LOCATION: Virtual

TIME: July 25, 2025 9:00AM - 1:00PM

LOGIN REQUIRED TO REGISTER: https://spp.org/calendar-list/joint-large-load-integration-stakeholder-engagement-forum-20250725/

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