FOLSOM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The only open market power grid in the western United States continues to grow its boundaries after winning unanimous approval from its Board of Governors today to add two new public power entities as participating transmission members in 2013.
The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) Board approved the participating transmission owner application for Valley Electric and its wholly-owned subsidiary Valley Electric Transmission Association, LLC, based in Pahrump, Nevada.
“We are pleased with the vote by the Board of Governors and continue to look forward to becoming a participating transmission owner as of January,” said Thomas H. Husted, CEO of the Valley Electric Association, Inc. “The benefits to the ratepayers of California and Nevada are numerous.”
Valley Electric will be the first Nevada-based utility to join the ISO. The Nevada Office of Energy submitted into the public record a letter of support.
“The Office of Energy applauds this action and considers this step an encouraging sign of the growing support and cooperation between our two states,” wrote Stacey Crowley, Director, Nevada State Office of Energy.
The Board also voted to allow City of Colton to become part of the ISO. The City of Colton has operated its own municipal utility since 1895 and currently serves 19,000 customers. The utility has a peak load of 90 megawatts and owns diverse generation resources in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada.
“Becoming a participating transmission owner allows Colton to acquire transmission access to new renewable resources in California and the Southwest necessary to meet California’s green power goals,” said Colton General Manager David Kolk. “The City of Colton extends its thanks to the ISO for accepting our participating transmission owner application and looks forward to working with the ISO on transmission issues in the future.”
The two new ISO members will bring to eight the number of municipal utilities that have turned operational control of their transmission to the ISO to manage. The cities of Anaheim, Azusa, Pasadena, Riverside, Vernon and Banning are current transmission members of the ISO.
Upon execution of a transmission control agreement, the utilities become participating transmission owners, subject to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepting the transmission owner tariff and transmission revenue requirement.
The California ISO operates the state’s wholesale transmission grid, providing open and non-discriminatory access supported by a competitive energy market and comprehensive planning efforts. Partnering with about a hundred client organizations, the nonprofit public benefit corporation is dedicated to the continual development and reliable operation of a modern grid that operates for the benefit of consumers. The ISO bulk power market allocates space on transmission lines, maintains operating reserves and matches supply with demand.