South Central Arkansas Electric Co-Op

Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., provides wholesale electricity to 16 distribution cooperatives that own it. The 17 distribution cooperatives serve more than 435,000 members across Arkansas and in surrounding states. It owns seven power plants and co-owns or has lease interests in three others. Founded in 1942, Arkansas' electric cooperatives own nearly 2,300 megawatts of generating capacity through the generation and transmission cooperative. AECC owns and operates three natural gas/oil-fired plants and owns or leases portions of three coal-fired plants. It also owns and operates three hydroelectric generating stations on the Arkansas River and one natural-gas fired simple-cycle plant in southern Arkansas.

Ark Electric Co-op Corp, based in Camden, Arkansas, is dedicated to providing reliable and affordable electric energy to its member cooperatives across the state. With a focus on diverse energy generation sources, including hydroelectric, solar, and wind, the cooperative aims to meet the rising energy demands of Arkansas while promoting energy efficiency and community engagement. As part of the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc., Ark Electric Co-op Corp supports its 17 member owners through education, public relations, and governmental affairs. The cooperative is committed to enhancing the collective energy knowledge of its members through initiatives like the Balance of Power campaign, which addresses the strengths and weaknesses of various power sources. Generated from the website

Southwest Power Pool is one of nine independent system operators and regional transmission organizations, one of eight regional entities, and one of eight regional reliability councils. SPP is mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale prices of electricity. ISOs/RTOs are the "air traffic controllers" of the electric power grid. ISOs/RTOs do not own the power grid. They independently operate the grid minute-by-minute to ensure that power gets to customers and to eliminate power shortages. Southwest Power Pool dates to 1941, when 11 regional power companies joined to keep an Arkansas aluminum factory powered around the clock to meet critical defense needs. After the war, SPP's Executive Committee decided the organization should be retained to maintain electric reliability and coordination. After the Northeast power interruption in 1965, other reliability councils were organized. In 1968, SPP joined 12 other entities to form what became the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). SPP incorporated as an Arkansas nonprofit in January 1994. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved SPP as a Regional Transmission Organization in 2004 and a Regional Entity in 2007. SPP has members in eight states including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. SPP manages transmission in seven of the above states. SPP members serve over 4.5 million customers. SPP is based in Little Rock, Ark.