Expanding Interconnections with the Southwest Power Pool

May 17, 2022

A graphic of transmission lines with power entering the province from other province s and the USA.

We've applied to the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) to expand the transmission line capacity between Saskatchewan and the United States to enable the import and export of 650 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2027. 

Our application has been reviewed by the SPP, and if terms are successfully established, we could sign an agreement with SPP for the interconnection sometime this spring.

We have an existing 150-MW tie line capacity in and out of the SPP, as well as interconnections with Alberta and Manitoba.

What Are Interconnections?

Interconnections are power lines that connect us with our neighbours. They’re like “energy highways” that allow power to flow in both directions. We can import power when we need to and export it when we have a surplus.

Learn more about this important power source at Interconnections with Our Neighbours.

Why We're Planning to Import More Power

Expanding our interconnection with the SPP will enhance the reliability of the power grid by providing stable power in the event of an outage at a power station, an issue with a transmission line, or a large outage caused by a storm event.

This added transmission capacity will also help Saskatchewan transition to a cleaner energy mix by:

  • allowing us to increase intermittent renewable power in the province; and
  • supporting the development of next generation technologies in the province, including nuclear power from small modular reactors (SMRs), hydrogen and utility-scale energy storage like batteries

Diverse Supply Means a More Reliable Grid

By having more interconnection capacity with the SPP market, we'll have much-needed diversity from existing connections.

We look forward to providing an update to you when more information is available. 

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