Last week, I had the chance to spend a full day at SPP’s headquarters in Little Rock for the 2025 Tech Expo - and let me tell you, it was a blast.
Yes. Transmission nerds can have fun.
SPP packed the agenda with just about every big topic facing our industry: AI, crypto, HVDC, 765 kV lines, giant new data centers, grid-forming batteries - you name it, and someone was there presenting on it. If you weren’t in the room, you missed out on a unique mix of brain-bending technical detail and a dash of humor from folks who are spending their lives thinking about how to keep the lights on in the 21st Century.
HVDC and International Lessons
We kicked off with MISO’s Congcong Wang talking about how HVDC is going to fit into markets and reliability, followed by Amprion from Germany, who are basically building an interstate highway system of DC cables under the North Sea. Their big takeaway? We can’t treat HVDC like an afterthought anymore. It has to be fully integrated into planning and operations.
Big Loads, Bigger Challenges
Then came the parade of “large load integration” stories:
- ERCOT’s Eric Meier explained how Texas is swimming in new requests from AI data centers, crypto miners, and hydrogen projects.
- Xcel’s Jordan Schmick reminded us that even “small” distribution loads can add up to transmission headaches.
- MARA’s Steve Ranes (a bitcoin mining operator) made the case that data centers can actually be a flexible, dispatchable asset—if you let them curtail.
SPP was right to put this topic front-and-center. The growth in electric demand is no longer hypothetical. It’s here.
AI Takes the Stage
Honestly, AI might have stolen the show.
- Hitachi Energy gave a crash course in what AI really is (hint: math + data + lots of computing power).
- SPP + Hitachi + Method rolled out a bold vision for using AI to cut generator interconnection analysis times by 80%. Imagine shaving years off the interconnection backlog - sign me up.
- The AI panel dove into applications ranging from forecasting to cybersecurity. I left the Expo convinced that AI isn’t just a buzzword. AI could become a serious tool for planning and operations (with the right guardrails).
Big Wires and Big Simulations
- AEP’s Hassan Hayat brought the wow factor with a look at the company’s legendary 765 kV transmission system - think of it as the eight-lane interstate of the electric grid.
- OPAL-RT’s Aditya Ashok showed off jaw-dropping simulation tools that can run massive EMT models in real time. For those of us who have stared at slow-moving studies, this felt like seeing the future.
- WSU’s Mani Venkatasubramanian walked through DOE’s PLATO project, building open-source planning tools that merge weather, climate, and power system models. Translation: planners will finally have a fighting chance against uncertainty.
Why It Matters for the South
From an SREA perspective, it was encouraging to see SPP grappling head-on with the very issues we worry about every day:
- How do we integrate massive new loads without crashing the grid?
- How do we make sure renewables and transmission get built fast enough?
- And how do we use technology like AI and advanced modeling to stay ahead of the curve?
SPP deserves credit for opening the doors, inviting international experts, and even letting the bitcoin miners have a say. It shows a willingness to tackle uncomfortable questions, which is exactly what we need from our Regional Transmission Organizations right now.
The Tech Expo wasn’t just about PowerPoints and panelists. It was about community, curiosity, and commitment. It’s easy to get lost in acronyms and equations, but events like this remind us that the grid is evolving faster than ever, and we’ve got to evolve with it.
So, kudos to SPP. From HVDC to AI to mega-loads, you’re digging into the right issues. And for those of us working to build a cleaner, more reliable energy future in the South, it’s nice to know we’re not digging alone.
