CAISO: Western EIM benefits surpass $100M since 2014
As the western EIM expands, the benefits have consistently grown. With two more utilities now entering the market, and more on the horizon, CAISO expects to see those figures rise.
The third-quarter benefits and emissions reductions resulted from market participants using 33,094 MWh of excess renewable energy instead of using energy generated by fossil fuels.
More efficient dispatch in the 15-minute market and real-time dispatch yielded more than $26 million in savings. The market’s operation also reduced necessary flexibility reserves in all balancing authority areas, the ISO said, of approximately 35%.
In addition to Puget Sound and APS entering the market, Portland General Electric plans to begin participating next year, followed by Idaho Power in 2018. More recently, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and Mexico’s El Centro Nacional de Control de Energía have separately announced they are considering participating.
SMUD, which operates the seven-memberBalancing Authority of Northern California, said it intends to start negotiations with the California ISO after finalizing a study of potential EIM….
