Media contact: Magen Howard, email Magen Howard
Benson, Arizona⸺At midnight on April 5, 2023, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) officially joined the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) Energy Imbalance Market (EIM).
It was the culmination of 3 years of research, planning, and intensive preparation by AEPCO and its balancing authority, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Desert Southwest region. Thanks to WAPA’s partnership, AEPCO’s primary energy trading schedule has now moved from an hourly basis to five-minute increments, providing more opportunities and flexibility for transactions that benefit members.
“We’re excited to be a part of CAISO’s energy imbalance market,” said AEPCO Executive Vice President and CEO Patrick Ledger. “The EIM will not only provide cost savings to our member-owners because of its optimized footprint, but it will also help ensure grid reliability and the integration of renewable resources.
“We commend all of the WAPA and AEPCO staff for their incredible contributions to this implementation and for continuing to demonstrate the value of our partnership as we transition to the new energy future,” Ledger said.
Over 75% of the Western Interconnection, or the bulk power system connecting the Western U.S. and Canada, is now participating in the EIM. CAISO is the regional transmission grid operator for most of California and a small part of Nevada.
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Arizona Electric Power Cooperative is the not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale power, transmission, and energy trading services to 6 member-owner distribution cooperatives, which serve about 420,000 consumers in Arizona, Southern California, and Western New Mexico. AEPCO also provides transmission and energy trading services to cooperatives, public power utilities, and water utilities in Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California. AEPCO operates together with Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services in Benson, Arizona, under the umbrella Arizona G&T Cooperatives.