Energy Matters blog: highlights its most recent news releases, and includes information about ISO issues, reports, and initiatives 

 

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Blog Announcement Header May 16, 2023
Summer conditions

2023 Summer Loads and Resources Assessment has been posted

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has released its 2023 Summer Loads and Resources Assessment, which shows considerable improvement in resource availability for the upcoming summer, driven by accelerated resource development and high hydro conditions within California.

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Recent

  April 13, 2023
Inside the California ISO, Operations

ISO forecasters honored for work on probabilistic solar forecasting

Two California ISO forecasters, Amber Motley and Rebecca Webb, have won a 2022 EPRI Technology Transfer Award ...

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  April 3, 2023
Transmission

Draft 2022-2023 Transmission Plan posted

Today, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) posted a draft of its 2022-2023 Transmission Plan. The plan reflects a more  ...

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  March 16, 2023
Transmission, Regulatory

A better way to address interconnections

With the state’s vastly accelerated pace of new resources that need to be connected to the grid and the more than doubling of interconnection requests in recent years ...

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  March 2, 2023
Inside the California ISO

G-PST and the value in global efforts supporting low-emission solutions

Many people know that one of the California Independent System Operator’s primary responsibilities …

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  February 23, 2023
Transmission, Leadership, Regulatory

An agreement regarding transmission and resource planning and implementation

Alice Reynolds, president of the California Public Utilities Commission; David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission …

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  February 9, 2023
Leadership

Ashutosh Bhagwat: An Appreciation

The ISO’s Board of Governors and WEIM Governing Body meetings last week presented …

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  January 5, 2023
Markets

EDAM progress “is very encouraging”

The California Independent System Operator’s (ISO) proposal for an extended day-ahead market (EDAM) in the West gained ...

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  December 21, 2022
Markets, Operations

Storage initiative will improve reliability

After nearly two years of work by many people at the California ISO and constructive input from stakeholders …

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  December 14, 2022
Leadership, Inside the California ISO

Reflections on a collaborative and productive year

The past year was another fast-paced, productive time for all of us at the California Independent System Operator.

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  December 9, 2022
Inside the California ISO, Operations

CAISO joins cross-collaborative initiative to strengthen power sector’s approach to...

I am very excited that the California Independent System Operator (ISO) will be participating in a new, three-year global research initiative ...

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  December 1, 2022
Operations, Transmission

A conversation about transmission

“If you like [renewable] generation, you need to love transmission.” Joanne Serina ...

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  November 17, 2022
Leadership, Inside the California ISO

ISO’s 2022 Stakeholder Symposium showcases the interconnected West

The ISO’s 2022 Stakeholder Symposium held November 9-10 in downtown Sacramento got off to an inspired start with remarks ...

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  October 13, 2022
Reports

The California ISO implements suite of transparency enhancements

One of the pillars of the ISO’s latest strategic plan is to “foster broad stakeholder trust through transparency, collaboration and mutually ...

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  October 6, 2022
Transmission, Inside the California ISO

Interconnection queue reforms going to ISO Board

Much of the impetus for the ISO’s initiative to improve its interconnection queue process can be found in the numbers ...

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  September 29, 2022
Leadership

California ISO Stakeholder Symposium is fast approaching

The California ISO Stakeholder Symposium is fast approaching and is set for Nov. 9 and 10 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention ...

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  August 26, 2022
Markets

Revised EDAM straw proposal continues to progress

Our next big milestone is approaching in our work to develop an extended day-ahead market (EDAM) for electricity throughout ...

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  August 22, 2022
Leadership

Reliability and California’s clean energy future

Mark Rothleder, the ISO’s chief operating officer, participated virtually on August 9 in the state Senate’s Energy, Utilities and ...

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  August 8, 2022
Transmission, Inside the ISO

Offshore wind could boost California’s transition towards clean-energy future

In May of 2021, the vision for California’s clean-energy future came more sharply into focus when Gov. Gavin Newsom and the …

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  July 11, 2022
Markets, Leadership

Next phase in EDAM stakeholder initiative

Working with hundreds of stakeholders in California and across the West, our Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) team has made ...

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  June 24, 2022
Markets, Western EIM

BOSR and RIF – Important contributors to the WEIM’s success

Diversity has always been pivotal to the success of the WEIM and that success requires diversity of participants, perspectives, and resources.

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  June 14, 2022
Operations

“A golden age of energy storage”

Just a few years ago, the notion that battery storage would play a key role in California’s energy future was seen by many as ...

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  June 7, 2022
Operations, Summer conditions

Improved clarity on available capacity

On a hot summer day in California, the system operators in the California ISO control room were preparing and reviewing …

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  June 2, 2022
Inside the California ISO, Operations, Summer conditions

Reliability and the growing importance of forecasting

When we say forecasting is an important part of our work at the California Independent System Operator, that is just one ...

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  May 16, 2022
Leadership

Our roadmap for the next five years - The ISO’s new Strategic Plan

The most effective organizations have clear, easy to understand strategic plans articulating what they hope to achieve ...

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  May 5, 2022
Operations

Background on new grid emergency notifications

Seamless and clear communications are never more important than during an emergency and the California Independent System ...

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  April 22, 2022
Western EIM

The benefits of an expanded Western electricity market

Win-win solutions can be hard to come by but the latest news about the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) topping ...

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  April 4, 2022
Operations

Heather Zichal of American Clean Power Association discusses grid resiliency ...

Recently, Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), had an informal discussion with Quentin Foster ...

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  March 24, 2022
Transmission

2021-22 Transmission Plan approved by ISO Board

Each year, the California ISO conducts its transmission planning process to identify potential system limitations ...

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  March 16, 2022
Operations

Our evolving grid

It has been talked about so long that it’s sometimes easy to forget California’s transition to a carbon-free electric grid is still ...

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  March 4, 2022
Operations

New video on historic growth of battery storage ...

Battery storage played an important role in helping to enhance grid resiliency during the summer of 2021, and the California ISO has ...

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  February 28, 2022
Reports

Storage was the compelling story of 2021, according to our newly published Annual Stats

The clean energy transition is gathering momentum, and nowhere is that more evident than the California ISO’s ...

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  February 3, 2022
Transmission

Thinking more proactively about the grid’s long-term needs - Our first-ever 20-Year ...

Every year, the California Independent System Operator conducts its annual transmission analysis, providing an update ...

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  January 28, 2022
Markets

Locating solar and storage together – a value proposition

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) is working to help meet the state’s clean-energy goals to generate electricity ...

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  January 20, 2022
Markets

EDAM working groups off to a positive start on key market issues

The ISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) initiative is one of our key priorities for 2022 and beyond ...

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  January 6, 2022
Leadership

The CAISO in 2022: perspectives from a long board tenure

Hello. My name is Ash Bhagwat, and on January 1, I became the new Chair of the California Independent System Operator’s ...

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  December 21, 2021
Leadership

A look back and ahead – ISO CEO Report for ...

For my end-of-the-year CEO Report to the California ISO Board and the Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) Governing ...

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  December 15, 2021
Leadership

ISO return to building now set for mid-March

After careful consideration, the California ISO has decided to push back its plans for employees to return to work in ISO ..

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  December 8, 2021
Markets

Another side of the battery storage story

California has been receiving a lot of positive attention in the media and elsewhere for the large amount of lithium-ion ...

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  November 24, 2021
Markets, Reports

New ways of measuring demand response being explored

When electricity demand outstrips the capacity of all the power plants and imported energy...

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  November 18, 2021
Leadership, Markets

Next steps on EDAM

With momentum building across the West for greater regional coordination, it was exciting to formally begin our ...

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  November 9, 2021
Leadership, Transmission

Good news on the transmission front

In my role as the California Independent System Operator’s vice president for Transmission Planning ...

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  November 1, 2021
Leadership

CAISO President to speak at international climate change conference

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) will be represented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference that began ...

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  October 26, 2021
Markets

Storage Forum to explore Future Energy Markets

With storage development growing rapidly in California and across the country, the California ISO is hosting the Storage Forum ...

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  October 20, 2021
Markets

A positive and constructive EDAM forum

On behalf of the entire ISO, I want to say how much I appreciated the engaging dialogue and spirit of collaboration ...

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  October 4, 2021
Markets

Developing an Extended Day-Ahead Market framework

The agenda for our upcoming Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) Forum is set and I could not be more excited about the important ...

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  September 21, 2021
Operations, Markets

Making it easier to track capacity

In a long-awaited breakthrough for our customers and stakeholders, the California ISO is now publicly posting a set of new graphs ...

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  September 16, 2021
Leadership

Women in Leadership speaker series is a hit

When we began to think about scheduling the first monthly California ISO “Women in Leadership” speaker series” for our employees ...

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  September 15, 2021
Leadership

Joanne Serina moves into new VP position for Stakeholder Engagement and Customer ...

Joanne Serina, who has served as the California Independent System Operator’s executive director of Customer Service and ...

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  September 14, 2021
Operations, Summer conditions

Storage: An intersection between reliability today and climate goals of tomorrow

Summer months are particularly challenging for electrical grid operators in the West. Climate change ...

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  September 10, 2021
Operations, Summer conditions

The reasons for Flex Alerts

When the California ISO notifies the public that it plans to call a Flex Alert, it is signaling an operational call for assistance because ...

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  September 3, 2021
Inside the California ISO

ISO Interns: Future energy leaders get real-life experience

Whether it was writing legal briefs, seeing renewable energy integration in action, or helping develop emergency procedures, ...

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  August 27, 2021
Leadership

Grid update at Capitol includes sharp focus on transmission

California ISO President and CEO Elliot Mainzer testified on Wednesday Aug. 25, 2021 at the Oversight hearing of the ...

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  August 25, 2021
Western EIM

"An important milestone” – enhanced shared governance approved by ISO and Western EIM

An enhanced governance framework was approved on Friday, August 20 by the California ISO Board of Governors and the ...

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  August 23, 2021
Leadership, Operations

Vision and tradition at new storage site

One of the more exciting recent energy related developments in California has been the addition of so much battery storage capacity being dispatched onto the state’s electrical grid. Last ...

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  August 20, 2021
Western EIM

Improving the resource sufficiency evaluation

Conditions on the electrical grid are dynamic, a situation that creates additional challenges and opportunities for the ISO and its ...

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  August 9, 2021
Markets, Reports, Summer conditions

First summer report on market performance released

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has released the first of four monthly reports assessing how its markets perform ...

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  August 3, 2021
Leadership, Summer conditions

Changing conditions require extraordinary action

ISO President and CEO Elliot Mainzer participated in a media availability on Friday, July 30 to discuss Governor Newsom’s ...

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  August 2, 2021
Western EIM

EIM quarterly results set new record; 15 balancing areas share over $132 million in benefits

The Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) has released its second quarter benefits report for 2021 on Monday, August 2, ...

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  July 22, 2021
Transmission, Leadership

Stakeholder call on 20-Year Transmission Outlook set for Tuesday, July 27

When the ISO kicked off its new 20-Year Transmission Outlook planning process in May it signaled a growing recognition ...

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  July 13, 2021
Transmission

Collaboration highlighted at stakeholder workshop on accessing the CAISO grid

Elliot Mainzer, president and chief executive officer of the California Independent System Operator, and Marybel Batjer, president of the California Public Utilities ...

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  July 7, 2021
Summer conditions

Event with SDG&E stresses conservation and storage for grid reliability

Conservation and energy storage were the focus in San Diego this week when the ISO’s Elliot Mainzer and Caroline Winn, San Diego Gas and Electric’s chief executive officer ...

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  July 1, 2021
Summer conditions

The CPUC and CEC request the ISO procure additional energy; early extreme heat events ...

Due to the extraordinary early heat events in California and across the West and several other factors, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy ...

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  June 25, 2021
Operations, Regulatory

ISO statement on important FERC decision

Today (Friday, June 25) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the ISO’s modification to its load, exports, and wheeling-through priorities.

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  June 2021
Leadership

Opinion: California electricity conservation needed this summer

Commentary by ISO President and CEO Elliot Mainzer, published Sunday June 27, 2021 in the East Bay Times.

As California transitions to much greater use of renewable energy resources like solar and wind power, and new battery technology to store that power, the state’s electricity grid remains vulnerable to widespread heatwaves like the one that hit much of the Western United States last summer.

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  June 2021
Leadership

Early heat shows we need to be prepared for anything; big thanks to consumers and other ISO...

By Elliot Mainzer, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Triple-digit heat across California and much of the West last week underscored the new volatility and uncertainty we are facing when it...

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  June 2021
Western EIM

Montana added to list of states served by EIM

The ISO’s Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) and NorthWestern Energy, which serves customers in ...

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  June 2021
Summer conditions

Flex Alerts called for Thursday and Friday, June 17 and 18

The first Flex Alert of the year on Thursday, June 17 was extended into Friday as ISO grid ...

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  June 2021
Leadership

Welcome to New ISO Blog

With summer almost here, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our new blog, Energy Matters, which debuts in this space today ...

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  June 2021
Summer conditions

Sen. Alex Padilla Visits ISO, Briefed on Summer Readiness

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla came back to California June 1 to draw attention to infrastructure negotiations in Washington ...

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 ​ June 2021
Summer conditions

Californians Do Conserve When Asked – Flex Alerts Are Vital

Flex Alerts work. They have been shown to help California conserve energy when the Independent System Operator anticipates ...

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June 2021
Summer conditions

Improved Grid Conditions for Summer, But Extended Heat Wave Could still Pose Risk

California’s electric grid is in better shape for summer than it was last August, when record-setting heat throughout the West ...

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