Sixteen entities have committed to participating in the Western Resource Adequacy Program’s first financially “binding” season covering winter 2027/28, the Western Power Pool said Oct. 31 — the deadline for participants to commit to the program.

“As of the deadline, there are 16 current participants that will remain in the program for binding operations, including five in addition to the 11 who sent a commitment letter last month, and we expect more companies to join in the future,” WPP said in a notice posted on its website.

The committed participants include:

• • Arizona Public Service
  • Avista Corp.
  • Bonneville Power Administration
  • PUD No. 1 of Chelan County
  • Clatskanie People’s Utility District
  • Constellation
  • PUD No. 2 of Grant County
  • Idaho Power
  • NorthWestern Energy
  • Powerex Corp.
  • Puget Sound Energy
  • Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District
  • Seattle City Light
  • Tacoma Power
  • The Energy Authority
  • Tucson Electric Power

WPP said the participants “bring significant load (over 58,000 MW in peak load) and resources and a large, diverse geographic footprint, making WRAP one of the largest RA programs in the country and giving us critical mass for a binding program.”

New commitments after the initial 11 include Constellation, Grant County, Idaho Power, Seattle City Light and The Energy Authority. WPP noted the full group “includes members committed to or leaning toward” either CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) or SPP’s Markets+, “as well as some who have not indicated they will join a day-ahead market.” SPP is operating the WRAP on behalf of the WPP and its Markets+ day-ahead platform, which requires members to participate in the program.

The Oct. 31 announcement marks the conclusion of a tumultuous October for the WRAP. The month began with PacifiCorp asking the WPP’s board of directors to delay the program’s binding phase by at least one year to deal with uncertainties around the program, followed by a similar request from Portland General Electric (PGE). (See PacifiCorp Asks WPP to Delay WRAP ‘Binding’ Phase Commitment Date.)

Early October also brought news of NV Energy’s intent to withdraw from the WRAP, a move the utility explained to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in an Aug. 29 filing that didn’t come to light until the regulator resolved issues with its website. (See NV Energy to Withdraw from WRAP.)

Then came the development, revealed by NV Energy, that future EDAM participants already have begun discussions about developing an alternative to WRAP. (See EDAM Participants Exploring Potential New Western RA Program.)

Just ahead of the deadline, NV Energy, PacifiCorp and PGE issued letters notifying WPP of their withdrawal, along with Calpine, Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) and Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM). (See 4 Entities Join NV Energy in Exiting WRAP, While Idaho Power Commits and PacifiCorp Next to Leave WRAP After Raising Concerns.)

Among the five utilities withdrawing from the WRAP, four (NV Energy, PacifiCorp, PGE and PNM) have committed to joining the EDAM, while EWEB will be participating in Markets+ by virtue of its location with the Bonneville Power Administration’s balancing authority area.

Of the 16 committing to the first binding season, just two — Idaho Power and Seattle City Light (SCL) — have expressed leanings in favor of EDAM, although SCL’s geographic position adjacent to future Markets+ members — including BPA — could make participation in the CAISO market a challenge.

In an Oct. 30 letter affirming SCL’s commitment to WRAP, utility Power Supply Officer Siobhan Doherty called the program “a cornerstone for enhancing reliability and coordination across the Western Interconnection” and said the SCL’s participation already has “provided tangible benefits for Seattle and the broader region.”

But Doherty raised a concern shared by some withdrawing participants, saying SCL “continues to closely monitor developments related to planning reserve margin (PRM) volatility in the shoulder months, particularly June and September. We recognize this as an area that could materially affect program outcomes and merits continued refinement.”

California Dreamin’?

The WRAP withdrawals have generated speculation in the Western electric sector about what kind of RA alternative could take shape in the region, including the potential for a program that might include California utilities — and CAISO.

In an email to RTO Insider, the ISO said it recognized that some EDAM participants are exploring WRAP alternatives and acknowledged that “several have approached CAISO with preliminary questions regarding our technical capabilities in this area, and we remain open to those discussions as stakeholder needs evolve.

“Ultimately, decisions about participation in WRAP and any alternative approaches rest with the utilities, their regulators and stakeholders. As with WRAP, any new resource adequacy program will not alter the CAISO Balancing Authority’s existing resource adequacy requirements.”