CONSERVATIVE OPERATIONS UPDATE | 2/20/25 @ 12 P.M.
At this time, grid conditions appear to be holding stable. The current Conservative Operations alert is scheduled to end at 1 p.m. today.
We’d like to take a moment to address some questions we’ve received regarding extreme weather events and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP).
How will fluctuating energy prices affect my energy bill?
Pioneer Electric’s generation and transmission provider, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, evaluates grid conditions and prices to decide on how best to protect its members from high energy prices. For the past several years, Sunflower has implanted a “hedge” against high prices in the wholesale energy market during extreme weather months (winter and summer). This hedge acts as added protection for Pioneer Electric members from extreme fluctuations in SPP market energy prices.
Are EEA events limited to just a specific season or time of year?
Advisories and alerts can be issued at any time during the year but are most common during periods of extreme temperatures. In this instance, the impacts of regionally cold temperatures on the SPP’s 14-state footprint have contributed to increased demand in power.
When will rolling outages occur?
The SPP has several levels of advisories and alerts it can issue during extreme weather events. Rolling outages do not occur until an Energy Emergency Alert level 3. However, grid conditions can change rapidly and without much notice. Pioneer Electric wants to ensure our members are informed in case a public appeal to conserve energy is made or if there is a heightened potential of rolling outages.