Southwest Power Pool of Little Rock named Carrie Bivens on Tuesday as the power grid overseer’s next vice president of market monitoring.
Bivens will take that role Dec. 2, the not-for-profit regional transmission organization said. She is succeeding Keith Collins, who vacated the job earlier this year.
A graduate of the University of Houston, Bivens was previously executive director for regulatory and political affairs at NextEra Energy Resources of Juno Beach, Florida. Lyceum Leadership conducted the nationwide search that selected her.
SPP praised her experience as both a market monitor and a senior leader at an RTO, in her case the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. She spent 14 years at ERCOT, most notably as wholesale operations director.
“We’re incredibly excited that Carrie is joining SPP, Chair Ray Hepper of SPP’s Oversight Committee said in a statement. “Her experience speaks for itself. She has detailed knowledge of electricity markets, especially as they impact RTOs. She’s carved a progressive career path, demonstrating leadership skills throughout. The SPP MMU will continue to provide an invaluable service to the region and grow under her guidance.”
Storm Response Work
For four years Bivens was ERCOT’s market monitor. That job put her at the center of winter storm Uri in February 2021. Afterward, she tackled the complex market design issues that the storm revealed.
She “interacted continuously with all levels of state government and senior leadership at ERCOT” during the crisis, the release said. At NextEra, where she has worked almost a year, Bivens oversaw policy and advocacy in ERCOT’s footprint and before the Texas Public Utility Commission. Her duties included supporting existing businesses and new development.
Bivens said in the release that she was deeply honored to take the new role at SPP. “I look forward to working with stakeholders and SPP staff alike to meet both the critical challenges of today and the future needs of the region,” she said.
SPP’s market monitoring unit keeps watch for possible abuses and potential gaming in the RTO’s markets. It monitors market participants’ compliance with rules, detects market design flaws and recommends design changes to benefit markets and consumers, SPP said.
Southwest Power Pool ensures reliable power supplies and adequate transmission infrastructure for members in 14 states. It also supports competitive wholesale electricity prices in its footprint and provides energy services on a contract basis.
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