FERC accepts SPP monthly load hosting capacity assessment, subject to condition
- Tariff revisions accepted, subject to condition, effective Nov 19, 2026
- SPP must file compliance revisions within 30 days
- FERC rejects Tri-State requests for further changes
Photo: Wikimedia Commons - Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0What changed The order accepts SPP's replacement of its current preliminary assessment with a monthly Load Hosting Capacity Assessment.
WASHINGTON, Oct 30 — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Oct 30 accepted, subject to condition, Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) tariff revisions establishing a monthly Load Hosting Capacity Assessment, effective Nov 19, 2026, in Docket No. ER26-2753-001.
Under SPP's proposal, Load Hosting Capacity is defined as the maximum amount of additional load that a delivery point can accommodate without compromising reliability or violating the existing operational limits of the transmission system. The monthly assessment replaces SPP's current preliminary assessment.
The commission found the revisions just and reasonable. It said the assessment will enable transmission customers to make more informed decisions about where to site load additions or modifications before they submit requests.
The order identified a gap in the proposed tariff language. That language lets only the transmission customer access the assessment report after signing a confidentiality agreement, while SPP's transmittal said host transmission owners may also seek access.
FERC directed SPP to submit a compliance filing within 30 days. The filing must add SPP's clarification that the host transmission owner and the transmission customer, if they are separate entities, must execute separate confidentiality agreements.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association protested parts of the proposal. The commission said it was "unpersuaded by Tri-State’s various arguments regarding SPP’s proposal."
According to the order, SPP said the assessment will not examine simultaneous load additions at multiple delivery points.
SPP filed the proposal on June 8, 2026. A deficiency letter was issued on Aug 7, and SPP amended its filing on Aug 26.