​SPP added 252 MW of battery capacity in December 2025, bringing total operational BESS to 550 MW across seven projects.

The region's 54 GW battery queue is the third largest in the US, but only 1% has reached commercial operation. With SPP’s new Consolidated Planning Process (CPP) approved by FERC in March 2026, congested clusters in recent years may finally find themselves expedited through the queue.

Ahead of the first CPP transition cycle in April, this report examines which batteries have come online, what the near-term pipeline holds, and what's driving updated buildout projections through 2030.

Key takeaways

• 252 MW came online at the Skeleton Creek complex in December 2025, the only new addition since our previous update. NextEra Energy developed both projects in Garfield County, Oklahoma.
• 2.1 GW of IA-agreed capacity targets commercial operations in 2026, with 890 MW in Q2 and 1,076 MW in Q4. The Surplus queue accounts for most near-term additions.
• 53% of queued battery capacity is co-located with another generation source. Solar co-location leads at 22 GW, followed by wind at 3.7 GW.
• The updated buildout projection reaches 19 GW by 2030, up from 10 GW in Q4 2025. The increase reflects higher completion rate assumptions for Surplus (80%) and ERAS (95%) pathways.

Skeleton Creek complex raises SPP battery capacity by 252 MW

NextEra Energy brought 252 MW of battery capacity online in December 2025. Both projects sit at the Woodring substation in Garfield County, Oklahoma, as part of the broader Skeleton Creek Energy Center - a solar, wind, and battery hybrid complex.

Skeleton Creek II (200 MW) entered through the Surplus Interconnection Process, while the Woodring expansion (52 MW) followed the traditional Definitive Interconnection System Impact Study (DISIS) 2017 cluster. Both are 4-hour systems - the minimum duration required when measuring Resource Adequacy eligible capacity.

These additions bring SPP's operational battery fleet to 550 MW across seven projects of 10 MW or larger. The fleet concentrates in Oklahoma's Southeast region, where NextEra is the dominant developer.

No additional batteries are expected to reach commercial operation in Q1 2026. The next wave of completions begins in Q2 2026.

2.1 GW of battery capacity is on track to achieve commercial operation in 2026

2.1 GW across 13 battery projects with signed Generator Interconnection Agreements (GIAs) target commercial operation dates in 2026.

Activity concentrates in two quarters. Q2 2026 accounts for 890 MW across eight projects, led by four NextEra developments totaling 505 MW.

Q4 2026 adds 1,076 MW from four projects, including the 594 MW Gas/Battery Hybrid replacements for Grand River Energy Center in Chouteau, Oklahoma - the single largest project in the near-term pipeline.

The Surplus pathway dominates. Nine of the 13 projects entered through Surplus Interconnection, reflecting the pathway's faster timelines.

The most imminent addition is the 100 MW Twelvemile Solar Energy project in Johnston County, Oklahoma, with a COD of March 31. A 36 MW Xcel Energy project in Lea County, New Mexico, follows on April 1. Both have signed GIAs and are on schedule.