May 18, 2015

CFTC Staff Issues Proposed Order to Exempt Certain Specified Transactions of Southwest Power Pool

Washington, DC — The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission), on May 18, 2015, issued a notice of proposed order and request for comment on that order concerning Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP), a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The comment period will be open for 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Comments may be submitted electronically through the Commission’s Comments Online process.

The proposed order would exempt certain specified transactions of SPP from the provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and Commission regulations, with the exception of the Commission’s general anti-fraud and anti-manipulation authority, and scienter-based prohibitions, under sections 2(a)(1)(B), 4(d), 4b, 4c(b), 4o, 4s(h)(1)(A), 4s(h)(4)(A), 6(c), 6(d), 6(e), 6c, 6d, 8, 9, and 13 of the CEA, and any implementing regulations promulgated under these sections including, but not limited to, Commission regulations 23.410(a) and (b), 32.4 and part 180.

In addition, the proposed order is similar to the April 2, 2013 final order issued by the Commission that exempted certain specified transactions of six other RTOs and Independent System Operators from certain provisions of the CEA and Commission regulations.

Last Updated: May 18, 2015