The four U.S. senators representing Oregon and Washington contend BPA has failed to make a financial case for joining Markets+, a condition they say should be the key driver of the agency’s decision to participate in a Western day-ahead market.

The Pathways Initiative drew praise from many quarters with the vote to approve its “Step 2” proposal, but it was quickly apparent the development will do little to sway Markets+ supporters.

A polite discussion at a BPA day-ahead market participation workshop ended on a testy note as critics of the staff leaning in favor of SPP’s Markets+ urged the agency to rethink its position and consider once again delaying a market decision.

New findings from a much-anticipated study have “not shifted” BPA's staff recommendation that the agency choose SPP’s Markets+ over CAISO’s — despite results showing greater economic benefits from EDAM.

The white paper by The Brattle Group offers a point-by-point comparison of CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market and SPP’s Markets+ that leans in favor of EDAM but stops short of endorsing either market.

CAISO focused on CRRs when it served up the latest volley in the ongoing dispute over what played out on the Western grid during the January cold snap that forced Northwest utilities to import high volumes of energy to avoid blackouts.

Stakeholder comments filed with the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative illustrate the complexity of building the new kind of Western regional organization envisioned by backers of the effort.