Planning for the Southwestern Public Service Company Transmission System (SPS)

For Texas and New Mexico

The planning process conducted by Xcel Energy subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) includes one or more annual open planning meetings that allow interested parties including customers, sponsors of transmission solutions, generation solutions and solutions utilizing demand response, interconnected transmission providers, state and local regulatory bodies and other stakeholders input into and participation in all stages of development of the SPS local transmission plan.

SPS participates in the SPP STEP regional process through the Integrated Planning Process (ITP) and encourages SPS transmission customers to participate in those regional planning processes.

The SPS transmission planning region is limited to SPS’s electrical system boundary.

Delivery Point Addition Request

The procedures for requesting a new load point interconnection to the SPS transmission system are provided below. The request form can be located here on the Southwest Power Pool  (SPP) website under Attachment AQ of the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff. 

View Load Request

To constitute a valid request, the request must contain the following:

1. Desired in-service date of interconnection.
   
   
2. Location of desired interconnection, which may include GPS coordinates, distances from known landmarks, distances from known transmission or distribution facilities in SPS area. The request must contain a defined point of interconnection, not just express a concept for an interconnection.
   
   
3. Proposed MW load addition, over a 10-year period, with an initial load and forecast for the 10-year forward-looking period. Reactive power load will be assumed to be at 98 percent per the interconnection guidelines. If load is being shifted from other delivery points, adjusted forecasts for those delivery points must also be provided.
   
   
4. Any special requirements, such as redundant transmission service, sensitive loads, special motor starting, any special process consideration.
   
   
5. SPS contact for request. If request is for modification or a new wholesale PP delivery point, the SPP Attachment AQ forms should be completed and sent to SPP with a copy to  Annette Gallegos or Skip Black below. If it is a large retail general service request, contact the Director, Managed Retail Accounts, Bryan Kauffman, 806-378-2174.   One of his representatives will assist in preparing the necessary SPP Attachment AQ request forms for the study of the proposed delivery point modification or addition.
   
   
6. Drawing of proposed point of interconnection. This may be a sketch that was converted to a PDF file, or a CAD drawing (AutoCAD or MicroStation only). Please show on the drawing the physical location of the customer needing service as well as the desired point of interconnection, should they be different.

SPS Transmission Planning Points of Contact

For matters concerning the Transmission Planning Process of the Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), SPS identifies the following Points of Contact:

For matters concerning the Transmission Planning Process of the Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) and Attachment R-SPS to the Xcel Energy Open Access Transmission Tariff (Joint OATT), SPS identifies the following Points of Contact:

For questions regarding transmission planning modeling, criteria, assumptions and data underlying system plans:

Rene Miranda
Manager, Transmission Planning South
790 S Buchanan St
Amarillo, TX 79101
806-378-2136

For questions regarding customer data submittals, and OATT issues:

Annette Gallegos
Principal Transmission Representative
790 S Buchanan St
Amarillo, TX 79109
806-378-2218

Skip Black
Transmission Representative
790 S Buchanan St
Amarillo, TX 79109
806-378-2238

For questions regarding Xcel Energy regulatory or procedural issues, or to have your name added to the Distribution List for SPS:

Brooke Trammell
RVP, Rates & Regulatory Affairs
Xcel Energy Services, Inc.
790 S Buchanan St
Amarillo, TX 79101
806-378-2928

SPS Planning Documents

2022 Sub-Regional Transmission Planning Presentations (PDF)
2021 Sub-Regional Transmission Planning Presentation (PDF)
SPS Transmission Planning Criteria (PDF)
2019 Transmission Customer Meeting
Generator Interconnection Presentation 2019
Model Development and NERC Compliance
SPS Sub-Regional Meeting SPP RTO Update
SPS Local Planning Meeting Presentation 2017

Additional Resources

FERC Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers
Southwest Power Pool (SPP)