Toward that effort, the California Energy Commission held a workshop in Sacramento Thursday, and will hold another in Denver on June 20, on how expansion of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) into a regional Independent System Operator could be governed.
The CAISO manages the flow of electricity across high voltage power lines that make up 80 percent of California�s power grid, and a small portion of Nevada�s.
In the workshop Energy Commissioner chair Robert Weisenmiller, Public Utilities president Michael Picker plus representatives from the California ISO and other stakeholders met to discuss governance of a regional ISO.
In his introductory remarks Weisenmiller said creating a regional ISO opens an opportunity to change the power sector and would positively impact California�s goals of meeting the state�s renewable energy goals.
�Much of California is operated under an outdated power model,� said Weisenmiller.
Weisenmiller noted that the world has changed significantly in the last 20 years.
�The ability to integrate and dispatch more renewable energy is at our fingertips,� he said. �In California we have established a 50% Renewable Portfolio Standard goal, but without a modern transmission planning system in place, we cannot achieve that goal.�
Central to the workshop�s discussion in Sacramento were topics like the creation of a transparent governance model, preservation of state authority, and approaches to creating a board to oversee a regional ISO.
The agenda and the draft governance of the proposal principles for governance of a regional ISO is posted online.
Denver Workshop:
When: Monday, June 20, 2016 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time
(12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time)
Where: Westin Hotel Denver International Airport
8300 Pena Blvd.
Denver, Colorado 80249
Remote Attendance
Participation in the workshops can be done through AT&T Connect, an online meeting service. Presentations will be webcast, and can be accessed as audio via computer or telephone. The workshops will be recorded.
Via Computer: Go to http://ems7.intellor.com/login/705365. Audio connection instructions will be available after connecting to the web conference.
Via Telephone Only: (no visual presentation): Please only use this method if unable to participate by web to ensure the ability to participate in Q&A. Call (877) 369-5230. When prompted, enter the passcode 0701839#.
For More Information:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/sb350/regional_grid/documents/index.html
