PacifiCorp is on schedule to begin trading in CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market on May 1, with the utility now in its final phase of market settlements and simulations testing.
Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp, which operates in six Western states, will be EDAM’s first participant, with PGE following Oct. 1.
The utility’s market simulations in EDAM’s parallel operations testing phase “have gone well overall, and we’ve been working through expected issues in close coordination with CAISO and our technology partners,” PacifiCorp spokesperson Omar Granados told RTO Insider.
“PacifiCorp continues to make steady progress on the systems and process changes needed to join EDAM, including routine software updates across multiple platforms,” Granados said. “A successful launch depends on tight coordination with CAISO and vendor, and we’re executing a sequenced rollout, with updates first at CAISO, then through PacifiCorp systems and outside vendors.”
Parallel operations testing has provided valuable insight into how the new imbalance reserve and reliability capacity products interact with energy supply and influence market prices, Granados said.
“While we continue to work through remaining market software items with CAISO and our vendors, the prices, awards and EDAM transfers we’re seeing are consistent with expectations and reinforce our confidence the market is operating as intended,” Granados said.
A 2024 study showed that PacifiCorp could earn up to $359 million a year in net benefits from participating in EDAM, nearly double a previous estimate. (See Updated EDAM Study Shows Doubling of PacifiCorp Benefits.) The study showed the utility could reduce its adjusted production costs by $53 million under and expanded EDAM footprint while earning an additional $120 million through EDAM congestion and transfer revenues.
Asked whether PacifiCorp thinks those estimated benefits still appear feasible based on the work the utility has been doing over the past few months to join EDAM on May 1, Granados said:
“While the study assumed a larger EDAM footprint than will be in place at go‑live, its key conclusions about the value of day‑ahead coordination remain consistent with what we’re seeing. Parallel operations show that the EDAM can efficiently schedule resources, transmission use and transfers to serve load at the lowest cost to customers. This lines up with the study’s findings on lowering electricity wholesale costs through improved scheduling.”
In January, PacifiCorp said a few challenges remained before the utility could go live in EDAM, including building and testing IT systems, and managing communication testing across numerous transmission customers and 14 neighboring utilities. (See EDAM Implementation Remains CAISO’s Focus in 2026.)
Granados told RTO Insider PacifiCorp has been addressing those challenges.
“We’ve been working closely with CAISO and our vendors to manage IT complexities and prepare for the market go-live, focusing on resolving key items and planning for future improvements,” he said. “Our transmission customers and neighboring utilities have been engaged and collaborative, and the volume of questions reflects solid progress and overall readiness.”
“We’ve also planned for unforeseen challenges by establishing tools and processes with CAISO to respond quickly and adapt as needed,” he added.
CAISO has said it is on track to launch EDAM by May 1 despite lingering challenges related to data handling. (See EDAM May 1 Launch on Track Despite Data Challenges.)
