Reducing exceptional dispatch (completed)

Outcome: As part of this initiative, the ISO and stakeholders discussed and assessed exceptional dispatch metrics and potential modeling, software and market product solutions to reduce their use. In addition to providing detailed information on these topics for each stakeholder meeting, the ISO provided reports to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission every 120 days on efforts to reduce exceptional dispatches. The most recent reports were issued on October 15, 2010 and February 14, 2011. The ISO will continue to provide these reports to regulators per this schedule. The ISO concluded in its June 10, 2010 "White Paper - Exceptional Dispatch Review and Assessment" that no single market product could displace exceptional dispatch because of the varied causes. Instead, the ISO concluded that continued emphasis on modeling and software enhancements would reduce exceptional dispatches while current and planned stakeholder initiatives would further identify additional opportunities. The new market products discussion will continue as part of the Renewables Integration Market and Product Review initiative. This initiative is a comprehensive review of products needed to operate the wholesale markets efficiently while reducing reliance on exceptional dispatches.

Reliability requirements that cannot be resolved through the California ISO market software are met by manually issued Exceptional Dispatches. The ISO is committed to reducing reliance on Exceptional Dispatch to the extent possible. The ISO has initiated this stakeholder process to assess with stakeholders the reasons underlying Exceptional Dispatch and address what appropriate modeling or software solutions and/or market products may be developed to reduce the need for Exceptional Dispatch going forward that will and reduce reliance on Exceptional Dispatch to situations that are rare and infrequent or genuine emergencies.