CAISO, California and other parts of the West head into 2025 with a heavy load of priorities: implementing EDAM, developing the infrastructure needed to meet ambitious climate goals, and moving forward with new and continuing initiatives to address some of the ISO’s biggest challenges.

The Balancing Authority of Northern California became the third entity to formally join CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market, following PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric.

The joint announcement by APS, SRP, TEP and UniSource Energy marks a significant win for SPP after a string of victories for CAISO’s competing Extended Day-Ahead Market.

The Pathways Step 2 proposal offers a blueprint for divvying up functions between CAISO and the RO that backers envision will provide an independent framework for governing the ISO’s Western markets.

The Western Area Power Administration said its Sierra Nevada region will pursue “final negotiations” to join CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market, notching another — if expected — victory for the ISO in its competition with SPP’s Markets+.  

Key backers of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative told state energy officials they’re confident California lawmakers next year will pass a bill needed to relax state oversight on CAISO’s markets and establish the "RO" envisioned by the initiative.