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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS AND PROCEDURES

UPDATED DECEMBER 2025

SouthwestPowerPool

SPPorg

southwest-power-pool

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Working together to responsibly and economically keep the lights on today and in the future.

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PROCEDURES

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM SPP DURING GRID ADVISORIES AND ENERGY ALERTS

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MATRIX

Emergency Level

Triggering Event

Operations

Stakeholder

Regulatory

Public/Media

Normal Operations

None

Standard procedures

None

None

None

Weather Advisory (*Normal Operations)

Extreme weather expected in SPP Balancing Authority (BA) area.

SPP posts to OASIS and RCIS, and notifies TOP/GOP operators

SPP sends Grid Notice exploder and publishes an update via the SPP Go App at 9:00 a.m. and �4:00 p.m. as needed

Include in Exploder distribution list message for awareness/Available for questions as needed

SPP updates SPP.org Current Grid Conditions page in real time/as quickly as possible.

Resource Advisory (*Normal Operations)

Severe weather, significant outages, wind and/or load forecast uncertainty expected in SPP Balancing Authority (BA) area.

Same as above

Same as above

None

Same as above

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Conservative Operations Advisory (*Stable Operations)

Based on weather, operational, cyber or other events, SPP may postpone/cancel outages, commit long-lead resources and take other actions declared necessary to operate more conservatively

SPP ops notifies comms, posts to OASIS and RCIS, and notifies TOPs, GOPs and Ops managers and market participants of need for conservative operations.

SPP sends Grid Notice exploder and publishes an update via the SPP Go App in real time/as quickly as possible.

SPP notifies members of its Regional State Committee and other Regulatory/�Government Affairs contacts

SPP updates Grid Conditions page, publishes banner to SPP.org homepage and issues notice via social media in real time/as quickly as possible.

Bold text indicates incremental activities that differ from prior levels.

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MATRIX

Emergency Level

Triggering Event

Operations

Stakeholder

Regulatory

Public/Media

Energy Emergency Alert Level 1

All available resources are committed to meet obligations, and SPP is at risk of not meeting required operating reserves.

SPP posts to OASIS and RCIS, and notifies TOP/GOP operators.

  • SPP sends Grid Notice exploder
  • SPP directly notifies BOD/MC, MOPC, elected officials, member comms/gov’t affairs reps, et al.
  • SPP will schedule calls as needed and w/appropriate frequency

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SPP notifies RSC and coordinates periodic briefings with state commissioners.

SPP updates Current Grid Conditions page, publishes banner to SPP.org homepage, issues notice via social media, and distributes a press release.

Bold text indicates incremental activities that differ from prior levels.

An EEA Level 1 is triggered when our operating reserves become at risk. At this level, we still have enough generation to serve demand and maintain reserves, but we’ve committed all available generation to meet those obligations.  

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MATRIX

Emergency Level

Triggering Event

Operations

Stakeholder

Regulatory

Public/Media

EEA Level 2

SPP can no longer provide expected energy requirements, OR SPP foresees/implements procedures up to but excluding service interruptions to maintain regional reliability.

Same as EEA 1.

Same as EEA 1.

Same as EEA 1.

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Same as EEA 1.

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Bold text indicates incremental activities that differ from prior levels.

EEA Level 2 is triggered when we’ve committed all available generation, can maintain operating reserves, but have begun to use demand-side management (curtailing interruptible loads) to keep region-wide electric supply and demand in balance. SPP is also required to facilitate a public appeal for voluntary conservation at this level, and we’d coordinate with the transmission operators among our members to do so.  �

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MATRIX

Emergency Level

Triggering Event

Operations

Stakeholder

Regulatory

Public/Media

Public Appeal for Conservation

Conservation appeal is required w/issuance of an EEA 2. If SPP determines earlier conservation may mitigate operational risk, it may be requested earlier.

SPP coordinates requests/directions of conservation appeals through its communications dept.

If appeal is requested apart from an EEA 2, Ops staff will notify TOPs, GOPs, MP and other stakeholders.

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SPP coordinates with TOP members to request or direct conservation appeal. SPP will instruct member reps to confirm receipt of instructions and indicate time they completed the appeal.

As above, SPP also directly notifies BOD/MC, MOPC, elected officials, member comms/gov’t affairs reps, et al., and will coordinate calls as needed.

Same as EEA1.

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Same as EEA1.

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In the event of a Public Appeal for Conservation of Energy, SPP uses a third-party emergency communications platform (Xmatters) to alert communications contacts at all load-serving entities of the situation’s urgency and directs them to advise their customers of the need for public conservation efforts to mitigate the need for load shed.

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XMATTERS

  • Recipient lists are based on member contact info.
  • A response from your organization is required.
  • Testing takes place twice per year.

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MATRIX

Emergency Level

Triggering Event

Operations

Stakeholder

Regulatory

Public/Media

EEA Level 3

SPP is using operating reserves, carrying reserves below the required minimum and has initiated assistance through its Reserve Sharing Group. SPP foresees or has implemented service interruptions.

Same as EEA1 and EEA2.

Same as EEA1 and EEA2.

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Same as EEA1 and EEA2.

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Same as EEA1 and EEA2.

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Bold text indicates incremental activities that differ from prior levels.

EEA Level 3 is triggered when SPP has used some or all of its operating reserves to serve load, and as a last resort we may have to direct load-shed or controlled service interruptions to prevent cascading outages. As above, we would coordinate load-shed with transmission operators and keep the rest of this group apprised of changing conditions. 

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MATRIX

Emergency Level

Triggering Event

Operations

Stakeholder

Regulatory

Public/Media

Load Shed

SPP is using operating reserves, carrying reserves below the required minimum and has initiated assistance through its Reserve Sharing Group. SPP foresees or has implemented service interruptions.

Operations has specific reporting requirements associated with curtailing load, and communicates directly with TOPs regarding their load-shed obligations.

Same as above.

Same as above.

Same as above, and SPP will coordinate with members to conduct periodic press conferences at least daily.

Bold text indicates incremental activities that differ from prior levels.

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RESTORATION EVENT

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COMMUNICATING IN A RESTORATION EVENT

  • “Restoration event” assumes widespread blackout conditions with limited availability to communicate based on outages
  • Unlike in EEA and SPP-directed load shed conditions, during restoration events many responsibilities shift back to TOP/GOPs
  • Assumed that SPP would have limited visibility into system conditions and thus would not be in position to publicly communicate re: system conditions
  • Primary communications goal is to gain accurate view of system conditions and prepare for transition back to BA-wide control.

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CHANNELS AND PLATFORMS

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO RECEIVE THE MOST CURRENT SPP UPDATES DURING AN EMERGENCY �AND ANYTIME

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SPP GO MOBILE APP

Download the SPP Go app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and receive notifications about energy emergencies via push notification.

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EXPLODER DISTRIBUTION LISTS

Grid Notices

Real-time updates

Emergency Communications User Forum

Meeting announcements and procedural info

News

General corporate news including emergency notices

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EXPLODERS

  • To sign up :
    • Log into SPP.org and �click “Hi, [your name]” �in top right of screen to �update account preferences. (Create an account if you don’t have one.)
    • In list of available exploders, check the box next to those you’d like to receive.
    • Click “Submit” at bottom of form to save changes.

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HISTORICAL ADVISORY/ALERT �RECORDS

  1. Visit SPP.org, and click Markets & Operations > OASIS��OR��Browse to http://www.oasis.oati.com/SWPP
  2. In the Menu Panel, open General tab and look for “SPP Historical Advisories and Alerts”.

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SPP.ORG/GRID-CONDITIONS

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MEDIA CENTER AND MEMBER RESOURCES

  • Browse to www.SPP.org/newsroom and click Media Center
  • Includes videos, fact sheets, message templates, etc.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

X (formerly Twitter): SPPorg

Facebook: SouthwestPowerPool

LinkedIn: southwest-power-pool

Instagram: southwestpowerpool

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MEMBER COMMS CONTACT INFO

Here’s what we need from you:

Contact information for your Comms Team

  • Specify - who should receive the Notice of Appeal for Conservation �(*primary contact for Xmatters and a backup)
  • Who should receive information in general? (*go ahead and send the list of your entire comms team)

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CONTACT US!

With questions or to request training or additional information for your team, please reach out:

Derek Wingfield (dwingfield@spp.org)

Adriane Barnes (abarnes@spp.org)

Meghan Sever (msever@spp.org)

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