Date: September 21, 2023
Venue: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Docket: ER23-2686-000
Proceeding: California Independent System Operator Corp.
Summary: EPSA highlights the importance of improvements to the California ISO’s day-ahead market to address system changes and better align the day-ahead market with real time conditions, and particularly the proposal to extend participation in CAISO’s day-ahead market to neighboring balancing authorities in the West. EPSA raises concerns, however, that there are elements of each proposal which may in fact adversely impact the operation of the ISO’s competitive markets and could undermine system reliability. EPSA urges the Commission to send CAISO and market participants back to the drawing board to address those flaws in the two proposals separately. EPSA believes that the market extension proposal can move forward without the proposed enhancements if necessary (with appropriate reporting requirements on its progress). Market participants should not be deprived of the benefits of this market expansion if it can be resolved on a faster timeline than the ISO market enhancements.