The Bonneville Power Administration’s first day-ahead markets workshop since issuing the draft policy stating its intention to join SPP’s Markets+ left little opportunity for critics to probe agency officials about the decision.

SPP named Carrie Simpson, a key figure in its expansion efforts in the Western Interconnection, as its vice president of markets, effective April 1, replacing incoming COO Antoine Lucas.

The Bonneville Power Administration announced it intends to join SPP’s Markets+, saying in its draft policy that the day-ahead market “is the best long-term strategic direction for Bonneville, its customers and the Northwest.”

Proponents of SPP’s Markets+ argued in their last “issue alert” that the day-ahead market option provides a robust footprint with “exceptional generation and load diversity” across the region while also claiming recent warnings about its seam with CAISO’s EDAM are overblown.

Former BPA Administrators collaborated on a public letter distributed in the Pacific Northwest about the “tremendous risk being created” in the region by workforce reductions at the federal agency.

BPA will be on the hook for nearly $27 million in funding for the next phase of SPP’s Markets+ — and potentially more depending on the market’s final footprint, according to a document SPP filed with FERC.

Public Service Company of Colorado asked the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for permission to join SPP’s Markets+.

The RTO said it has received signed Phase 2 funding agreements from eight interested participants in its proposed day-ahead service offering — including the Bonneville Power Administration.