Following the passage of California's AB 825, KUNR reports that the West is getting closer to creating a unified regional electricity market among the Western states to replace the current fragmented system of utility contracts. United's Brian Turner highlighted the benefits of broader regional collaboration in lowering electricity costs and strengthening grid reliability.
California just took a major step toward reshaping how electricity moves across the Western U.S. It’s a change that could transform the region’s power grid and boost clean energy.
For decades, Western utilities have mostly managed power on their own, linked by a patchwork of contracts. That fragmented setup often leaves wind and solar energy stranded when it’s needed most.
A new California law, signed this month by Gov. Gavin Newsom, could change that. It allows the state’s main grid operator — the California Independent System Operator, or CAISO — to expand into a regional energy market that includes other Western states.
The goal is to share electricity more efficiently across state lines, making better use of renewables and improving reliability during extreme weather events.
“Being able to trade over a broader area and bring that diversity of loads and resources is where we see the greatest benefit, both in consumer cost, savings, and reliability,” said Brian Turner, director of regulatory engagement at Advanced Energy United.
Regional coordination could help the West function more like other multi-state markets in the Midwest and East, which move power seamlessly and lower costs for ratepayers.
If successful, the shift could turn the West’s patchwork of utilities into a connected grid built for a renewable-powered future.
Read the full article here.