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January 1, 2026 |

Winter Reliability Shows Adequate Resources for 2026 Season

In November, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released its 2025/2026 Winter Reliability Assessment. In that report, Southwest Power Pool (SPP)—our regional transmission operator (RTO)—is projected to have sufficient generation capacity to meet expected demand under normal winter conditions.

While many RTOs across the country face elevated reliability risks this winter, our region is not among them. That’s encouraging news and a reflection of the extensive work happening behind the scenes to strengthen grid reliability.

While we’ve recently shared updates about upcoming rate adjustments, we want to use this space to highlight the reliability work that often goes unseen but is critical to keeping your electricity dependable.

What Is a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)?
Electric utilities nationwide are members of one of nine regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs), also called power pools. These entities are federally regulated by FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) and work on a regional scale to coordinate, control, and monitor supply and demand on the electric grid. RTOs do not own the power grid, but they work as “air-traffic controllers” of the grid to ensure reliable power supplies, adequate transmission infrastructure, and “day-ahead” electric market coordination of wholesale electricity prices on behalf of their members.

While SPP is not listing reliability as being at a high risk level for the upcoming winter season, our industry continues to navigate significant long-term challenges in maintaining a resilient and reliable electric grid.

The changing energy landscape presents both opportunities and challenges. While the SPP region has made substantial progress in bolstering its transmission infrastructure and adding renewable energy resources like wind and solar, the variable nature of these resources requires careful planning to maintain reliability. A key factor contributing to improved stability is SPP’s new Planning Reserve Margin policy.

What Is a Planning Reserve Margin?
Our cooperative, SPP, and our wholesale power provider, Corn Belt Power Cooperative, must be prepared for periods of extreme demand. To do that, we rely on reserve margins—extra generating capacity held in reserve to meet unexpected needs. Reserve margins represent the percentage of unused generation available during peak demand. Nationwide and within SPP, these margins are shrinking. When reserve margins tighten, there’s less buffer for unexpected outages (i.e. plant mechanical failure) or emergencies, increasing the risk of forced interruptions.

Maintaining reliability requires a diverse mix of generation resources. Dispatchable resources—coal, natural gas, and nuclear—remain essential when renewable output drops. Yet many of these traditional plants face retirement pressures due to federal emissions regulations that often require technologies not yet commercially available or economically feasible.

Proactive Steps to Ensure Reliability
Our cooperative and our energy partners are taking decisive action to maintain grid reliability for our members through several key initiatives:

• Advocating for Reliability and Affordability: Electric cooperatives across the country are owned by you, the members we serve. This means that our cooperative works together with other electric cooperatives to educate lawmakers and advocate on behalf of our members to ensure that reliable power is also competitively priced.
• Resource Diversification: Nationally, there is increasing reliance on renewable energy sources, and at the same time, we’re seeing fossil fuel plants taken offline, often ahead of schedule. Additionally, we’re seeing more pressure on the electric grid due to the ever-present severe weather events and historic rising demand, as we begin to electrify more sectors of our economy in the form of electric vehicles, data storage, and cryptocurrency. Our co-op believes and advocates for an all-of-the-above energy approach. The “all-of-the-above” approach promotes the idea that the United States relies on a reliable and sustainable fuel supply. There is great value in maintaining a diverse mix of fuel sources–fossil fuels and renewables- to ensure reliability and resiliency and meet the growing demand for electricity.
• Grid Infrastructure: As a member of Corn Belt Power, we pool resources and expertise to invest in technology, security, and infrastructure to deliver reliable and cost-effective power. Our operations are dedicated to strengthening our electric infrastructure through targeted upgrades and new construction projects, which will enhance regional connectivity and resilience.
• Emergency Preparedness: We work closely with SPP and neighboring utilities to protect our members from potential energy shortages and price spikes associated with having to purchase more power when demand is elevated. By having detailed response plans in place, we can take steps to reduce electricity demand during critical periods – helping avoid the need to purchase expensive power from the market when prices are at their highest. This coordinated approach helps keep your electricity both reliable and affordable.
• Regional Coordination: We actively participate in SPP’s reliability initiatives and maintain close coordination with neighboring utilities to support regional grid stability. By preparing for and responding to energy shortfalls, we can follow protocols to reduce electric demand and avoid purchasing excess energy from the markets or interrupting power supply.

Corn Belt Power works closely with SPP and other regional partners to address these long-term challenges while maintaining reliable and affordable electric service for our member-consumers. As we dedicate ourselves to powering your homes and communities throughout the winter season, know that we are committed to doing everything we can to maintain your trust and find solutions to keep your power reliable and your rates stable.