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The Colorado Sun: Xcel’s $30M Plan To Join Regional “Power Pool” Panned for High Cost, Lack of Benefit

Posted by Mark Jaffe on May 28, 2025

The Colorado Sun reports that Colorado's largest utility, Xcel Energy, is facing criticism over its proposed plan to join SPP's Markets+ day-ahead market. United's Brian Turner urges Xcel to look West to CAISO's EDAM, where studies show greater savings and stronger alignment with Colorado's clean energy and affordability goals. 

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Topics: United In The News, Colorado, Western RTO, Brian Turner

New Report Shows Greater Benefits to Colorado from a Bigger Energy Market

Posted by Adam Winer on May 23, 2025

Xcel Energy has proposed joining a smaller market with less clean energy, whichmeans higher costs for ratepayers

DENVER, CO — A new report from Aurora Energy Research assesses the potential for Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy) to join a regional electricity market in the West.  

The report evaluates the economic benefits of different day-ahead market participation scenarios and found that Xcel Energy’s proposal to join the relatively small and disjointed Markets+, run by the Arkansas-based Southwest Power Pool (SPP), would increase both costs and greenhouse gas emissions compared with other options. Compared to Markets+, participating in the Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) would yield between $4.2 and $13.2 million per year greater savings through 2060.

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Topics: Press Releases, Colorado, Western RTO, Brian Turner

E&E News: Two Sprawling Power Markets Take Shape in the West

Posted by Jason Plautz on Mar 7, 2025

E&E News reports that Bonneville Power Administration has issued a draft decision to join Southwest Power Pool's Markets+. This move could cement a bifurcated electricity market in the West. United's Brian Turner expressed concerns that a split market would create inefficiencies, increase costs, and limit the ability to share clean energy resources across the region. Studies indicate that a split market will result in seams that will create economic and operation friction. 

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, Brian Turner

RTO Insider: Brevity Should be Key for Pathways ‘Step 2’ Bill, Supporters Say

Posted by Henrik Nilsson on Feb 17, 2025

RTO Insider reports on the Step 2 bill of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative, which aims to modify CAISO’s governance structure by creating an independent regional organization (RO) to oversee the Western Energy Imbalance Market and Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). United's Brian Turner and Leah Rubin Shen emphasized that the bill should strictly enable CAISO’s participation in a regional market without imposing California’s clean energy policies on other states.

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Topics: United In The News, Leah Rubin Shen, Western RTO, California, Brian Turner

The Nevada Independent: Ordered to Close Its Last Coal Plant, NV Energy Will Now Burn a Different Fossil Fuel

Posted by Amy Alonzo on Feb 9, 2025

The Nevada Independent reports on NV Energy's decision to convert the North Valmy Generating Station from coal to natural gas instead of retiring it as originally promised. United's Brian Turner criticized this decision, saying that NV Energy missed an opportunity to transition to renewable energy, and warned that this move will keep Nevada dependent on fossil fuels and burden ratepayers with the costs for decades. 

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Topics: United In The News, Nevada, Brian Turner

RTO Insider: 4 Arizona Utilities Commit to Joining Markets+

Posted by Elaine Goodman on Nov 25, 2024

RTO Insider reports that four Arizona utilities announced their plans to join SPP’s Markets+ day-ahead market over CAISO’s competing Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). United's Brian Turner expressed caution, stating that two Western day-ahead markets will create seams and market inefficiencies.  

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, Brian Turner

POLITICO: Kumbaya for Rs and Ds on the Western Grid?

Posted by Wes Venteicher on Nov 21, 2024

POLITICO reports on the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative (WWGPI)'s new proposal to regionalize the Western power grid, which is expected to gain broad bipartisan support despite potential challenges from a Trump-appointed FERC leadership. The article quotes United's Brian Turner, a member of the WWGPI Launch Committee, discussing how this move will strengthen regional cooperation. 

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, Brian Turner

Utility Dive: Pathways Initiative Proposes Regional Organization to Oversee Western Power Markets

Posted by Ethan Howland on Oct 2, 2024

Utility Dive reports on the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative (WWGPI) draft Step 2 proposal that would create an independent organization to oversee the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) and pending Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM), which are run by the California Independent System Operator. The article quotes United's Brian Turner, a member of the WWGPI Launch Committee, saying that this independent organization could evolve to offer a full range of regional transmission organization services. 

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, California, Brian Turner

NewsData: Latest Western Markets Proposal Moves Forward With WWGPI Step 2

Posted by Jason Fordney on Sep 27, 2024

NewsData reports on the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative (WWGPI) draft Step 2 proposal. The draft Step 2 proposal includes several components: regional organization (RO) scope and function, formation of the RO, governance of the RO, public-interest protections, and the stakeholder process. The article quotes United's Brian Turner, a member of the WWGPI Launch Committee, saying that this proposal represents a significant step toward improving electricity markets in the West and addressing long-standing barriers.

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, California, Brian Turner

RTO Insider: Pathways Participants See ‘Pivotal’ Chance to Build New Kind of RTO

Posted by Robert Mullin on Jul 15, 2024

RTO Insider covered the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative Stakeholder Process workshop and said that the West faces a “pivotal” opportunity to develop a fresh approach to managing its electricity markets. The article quotes United's Brian Turner discussing thenew governance approach and model. 

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, Brian Turner