The Bonneville Power Administration has said it will become the first western utility to formally commit to funding development of SPP’s Markets+ in the West.

SPP and Western entities interested in the RTO’s Markets+ “RTO light” offering continued to inch toward each other during another development session.

SPP is continuing its delicate dance with Western utilities with a charm offensive that includes a first-hand look at the RTO’s sausage-making process.

SPP’s plan to develop a market to compete with CAISO's Western EIM got a boost from utilities and energy customers in the Pacific Northwest.

The CREPC-WIRAB spring meeting focused on regional markets and transmission planning in the West, including FERC's recent transmission planning NOPR.

CAISO issued a straw proposal for its extended day-ahead offering in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, a renewed effort at greater Western regionalization.

A group of Western utilities plans to help SPP develop its Markets+ program in the West and to examine the benefits of joining it or CAISO's day-ahead market.

SPP says its Markets+ day-ahead offering in the Western Interconnection is on track to be completed by the end of the year.

SPP said it plans to close its Western Energy Imbalance Service, with members joining either its proposed Markets+ program or its Western RTO.

CAISO, SPP and the Western Power Pool are all maneuvering to organize the Western electricity sector, and conditions finally seem ripe for change.