The rate paid by Boulder City for power purchased on the open market rose from 3.945 cents per kWh in 2018 to 23.859 cents per kWh in 2023, an eye-popping increase of 500% or six times the 2018 cost. But what exactly does “open market” mean?
The Craig Station coal-burning power plant in Moffat County is pictured Feb. 27, 2020. Tri-State Generation plans to close the plant by 2030.
Hoping to lower wholesale electricity costs, increase price transparency, and mitigate congestion on the transmission system for participating markets, the Southwest Power Pool launched its Western Energy Imbalance Services market Monday morning.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is one of several regional utilities are participating in the market.
The real-time balancing market is the latest of SPP’s contract-based Western Energy Services to be implemented in the Western Interconnection.
“This is an exciting step for SPP and our new market participants in the west. Our electricity markets have played a big role in lowering costs, integrating renewables and enhancing reliability in the east, and we’re excited to see a new part of the country begin to see similar benefits,” said SPP President and CEO Barbara Sugg. “
E-1 – Omitted
E-2 – Cybersecurity Incentives (Docket No. RM21-3-000). Agenda item E-2 may be a new docket relating to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) on Cybersecurity Incentives. The NOPR proceeding may expand and formalize the concepts outlined in a Commission staff white paper issued on June 18, 2020, which explored certain transmission incentive policy proposals designed to encourage utility spending on protocols that would ostensibly improve security and compliance with critical infrastructure protection requirements.
E-3 – California Independent System Operator Corporation (Docket No. EL21-19-000). Agenda item E-3 may be a new docket relating to a Show Cause proceeding brought by the Commission against California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO). The Commission may issue an order to CAISO pertaining to an investigation and identifying possible civil penalties or sanctions for the alleged matter.