Fresh Energy is expanding its transmission advocacy beyond the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to include the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), strengthening our efforts to build the regional and interregional transmission system needed for a carbon-free future. While SPP’s footprint overlaps only slightly with Minnesota, the region plays an increasingly important role in bringing new clean energy resources online and connecting them to the broader electric grid.
This expansion reflects the reality that Minnesota’s clean energy future depends not only on what happens within our borders, but also on the strength of the regional grid that delivers carbon-free electricity across states and markets. By engaging in SPP, Fresh Energy will advocate for the transmission investments needed to accelerate decarbonization, support Minnesota’s carbon-free electricity law, and enable greater connections between SPP and MISO.
To support this work, Fresh Energy has added additional staff capacity to the Electricity team, recently welcoming Claudia Partridge, senior associate, transmission policy to the organization. Claudia joins Mike Schowalter, managing director, transmission policy in engaging in Fresh Energy’s RTO work by advancing transmission policies and collaborating with decision-makers and advocates throughout the region.
Fresh Energy is uniquely positioned to take on this work because of our experience advancing transmission policy in MISO and our deep understanding of Minnesota’s clean energy goals. By bringing Minnesota’s perspective into SPP and strengthening connections between regional transmission organizations, Fresh Energy can help advance the transmission investments needed to unlock clean energy resources, support reliability, and drive economy-wide decarbonization.
Fresh Energy has joined SPP’s Public Interest Sector, expanding the collective capacity of organizations working to advance a cleaner, more reliable energy system. As a leading organization focused on the intersection of Minnesota’s climate goals and regional grid planning, Fresh Energy brings a distinctive voice to these conversations. Together with our partners, we will work to build the transmission infrastructure necessary to build a resilient grid and unlock a carbon-free energy future for Minnesota and the broader region.