Will there be a Western ISO? -- A webinar presented by Power Markets Today

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Sept. 13, 2016 - PRLog -- While the Eastern Interconnection has multiple organized markets and the entire Texas Interconnection is made up of ERCOT, the West has only seen the major investor owned utilities in California join together to form the California ISO (CAISO).

But spurred by ambitious renewable energy goals in California and around the rest of the region, a major expansion is being considered. So far PacifiCorp, which has operations in six states that serve 1.8 million people, has announced its intention to join the ISO as a full member. It was the first member of the ISO-run Energy Imbalance Market (EIM), which now includes NV Energy and is set to expand to Arizona Public Service, Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric and Idaho Power over the next two years.

The EIM brings the benefits of five-minute market dispatch to the other balancing authorities but moving to a full Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) membership would include markets for day-ahead energy and ancillary services. It would also put a neutral body in charge of member utilities' transmission systems.

But the idea could run into some challenges such as worries over the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) instituting a capacity market on the ISO, which generators have long advocated for in California – though unsuccessfully. That particular market construct is not popular with state regulators, though FERC has shown that when states already control resource adequacy, it has declined to impose mandatory capacity markets.

Attend Power Markets Today's "Will there be a Western ISO?" webinar on Wednesday, September 14, 2016, from 2-3:30 PM Eastern US time or purchase and download the recording to get a comprehensive view of the topic of an expanded Western ISO. Call +1-301-769-6812 (1-888-637-7776 toll-free in the US and Canada) or visit http://www.powermarketstoday.com/western-iso to register or download the recording.

KEY LEARNING POINTS

• Hear about the current state of the talks on an expanded Western ISO.

• Learn the benefits and potential drawbacks to ISO/RTO membership in the rest of the West.

• Hear about the hurdles to expanding the ISO to other states and the reasons driving that expansion.

• Find out how expanding the ISO could change the jurisdictions of states and the federal government.

• Hear how much efficiency a single balancing authority with one transmission planner can wring out of a grid that is undergoing transition due to growing renewables.

• Ask your own questions and get advice from the panel, tailored to your specific needs, when we open up the phone lines for live Q&A from the audience.

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS

• Keith Casey, Vice President of Market Infrastructure and Development, California Independent System Operator

• Jan Smutny-Jones, CEO, Independent Energy Producers Association

• Jonathan Weisgall, Vice President of Government Relations, Berkshire Hathaway Energy and a representative of PacifiCorp

About Power Markets Today

Power Markets Today's mission is to deliver exclusive news chronicling ongoing efforts to build competitive wholesale and retail utility markets with in-depth analysis on why some fail and others succeed. Power Markets Today is published 245 times a year by Modern Markets Intelligence Inc. (MMI). For a 14-day, risk-free trial, visit https://www.powermarketstoday.com/public/14day-Free-Trial.... To register or download the recording of "Will there be a Western ISO?" webinar, call +1-301-769-6812 (1-888-637-7776 toll-free in the US and Canada) or visit http://www.powermarketstoday.com/western-iso.

CONTACTS

James Downing
Editor, Power Markets Today
Modern Markets Intelligence Inc.
1-888-678-5540
james@mminews.com

Season Crawford
VP of Marketing
Modern Markets Intelligence Inc.
1-888-678-4480
season@mminews.com