Southwest Power Pool

Southwest Power Pool is a Little Rock-based regional transmission organization mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It serves more than 4.5 million customers in eight states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

The SPP footprint includes 16 balancing authorities, 40,364 miles of transmission lines and 255,000 square miles. Led by president and CEO Nick Brown, SPP employs more than 300 employees in Arkansas.

That number is expected to increase dramatically when SPP finishes construction on a $62 million west Little Rock corporate headquarters campus, scheduled to open in the spring of 2012. The new campus will enable the company to bring all its employees, currently spread among three sites in Little Rock and Maumelle, to one location.

In February of 2012, SPP announced a $1.7 billion expansion plan that would entail more than 900 miles of new transmission lines and 15 transformers. It is expected to generate $834 million in net regional savings over 40 years.

MISO Plans Operations Center, Up to 50 Jobs in Little Rock

1 week ago –

MISO, a regional power transmission provider that boasts Entergy Arkansas among its members, is planning an operations center in Little Rock that could employ up to 50 people. read more >

George Gleason: Bank Still A Player for FDIC-Assisted Deals

1 month ago –

George Gleason says the company remains a player in bidding on FDIC-assisted acquisitions although efforts during 2012 proved unsuccessful. read more >

Little Rock: A Headquarters for Commerce

2 months ago –

The Little Rock region is the headquarters of many diverse national and multi-national businesses and organizations, both homegrown and relocated. read more >

George Gleason's 2012 Salary Tops $1.2M

2 months ago –

George Gleason, chairman and chief executive officer of Little Rock's Bank of the Ozarks Inc., receives a 15.3 percent raise that boosts his salary to more than $1.2 million. read more >

Central Arkansas Office Market Remains Flat

3 months ago –

The fourth-quarter office market in central Arkansas has remained relatively flat with a vacancy rate during the last five quarters of 12 percent. read more >

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel Leaving Governor's Race

4 months ago –

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel says he is dropping out of the 2014 governor's race, having admitted to an "inappropriate" relationship with Hot Springs attorney Andrea Davis. "It would have been a very negative and bitter race that was not focused on issues but rather, I believe, on me," McDaniel says. read more >

Mike Ross: Not Reconsidering 2014 Run for Arkansas Governor

5 months ago –

Congressman Mike Ross says he's not reconsidering his decision to not run for governor in 2014 after Attorney General Dustin McDaniel admitted an inappropriate relationship. read more >

SWEPCO Starts Operation of Coal Plant in SW Arkansas

5 months ago –

Southwestern Electric Power Co. has begun producing electricity at its $1.8 billion coal-fired plant in southwest Arkansas, a triumph for the company over environmental groups that tried to block its operation. read more >

Mike Ross Donates Papers to Ouachita Baptist

5 months ago –

Retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Ross is donating his papers to Arkansas' Ouachita Baptist University. read more >

Southwest Power Pool Wants Better Public Schooling in Arkansas

6 months ago –

Southwest Power Pool Inc.'s decision to keep its $62 million headquarters in Arkansas indicates that the state can support major employers with highly educated workforces. But according to Nick Brown, the company's top executive, Arkansas needs to better train its young students for careers in technology. read more >

Entergy's Eternal Power Struggle: MISO Move Decades in the Making

6 months ago –

MISO, SPP, PSC, FERC and ITC – all acronyms that have been part of the recent world of Entergy Corp. What is the power operator doing, and how will it affect the utility bills of Arkansas customers? read more >

Arkansas PSC Approves Entergy-MISO Move, SPP Disapproves

7 months ago –

The Arkansas Public Service Commission says it would approve Entergy Arkansas' joining with a regional transmission group, prompting a statement of disapproval from Southwest Power Pool. read more >

Entergy Arkansas: We Will Meet PSC's Conditions for MISO Move

9 months ago –

Entergy Arkansas Inc. of Little Rock says it has a plan to comply with conditions the Arkansas Public Service Commission set for the utility to join the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator. read more >

PSC Sets Conditions for Entergy-MISO Move

9 months ago –

The Arkansas Public Service Commission has set stipulations for Entergy Arkansas Inc.to move its transmission assets to the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator Inc. (MISO) of Carmel, Ind. read more >

Building Sales Cause Dip In Office Occupancy

10 months ago –

The occupancy rate for office space in the Pulaski County market dropped to 85.7 percent in the spring, according to the Central Arkansas Commercial Data Exchange. That figure stood at 87.3 percent a year ago. read more >