EIM

Portland General Electric Company (PGE) and the California Independent System Operator (ISO) filed an implementation agreement with FERC, paving the way for the Portland, Ore.-based utility to participate in the western energy imbalance market (EIM) starting in October 2017. The western EIM is a real-time energy wholesale market that automatically dispatches the lowest-cost electricity resources available to meet utility customer needs while optimizing use of renewable energy over a large geographic area.

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) initiated an expansion of its existing PCI platform to prepare for the California ISO energy (CAISO) imbalance market (EIM). PCI will provide APS with all major system upgrades to fully participate in CAISO EIM. The system upgrades include the EIM software platform that will fully support all APS bid-to-bill and scheduling needs for marketing and trading activities and balancing authority operations.

NV Energy filed a request with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) seeking approval to participate in the California Independent System Operator Corporation's (ISO) energy imbalance market (EIM). Meanwhile, the California grid operator separately is asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve the implementation agreement with NV Energy.

The design framework for a California Independent System Operator (ISO) energy imbalance market (EIM) received approval from the ISO board of governors. The EIM will allow western grid operators, known as “balancing authorities”, to voluntarily participate in a real-time energy market that enhances grid reliability and responsiveness, effectively integrates renewable power and saves wholesale energy costs. The ISO’s first EIM partner, PacifiCorp, has been working with the ISO to prepare for implementing the market expected to go live on October 1, 2014.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the implementation agreement between the California Independent System Operator (ISO) and PacifiCorp that establishes the scope and schedule for a variety of tasks the parties will undertake to launch an energy imbalance market (EIM) by October 2014. Among its provisions, the implementation agreement sets out procedures for PacifiCorp to pay the ISO a $2.1 million fixed start-up fee to enable PacifiCorp to participate in the ISO’s existing energy imbalance market.