California ISO 2013 Stakeholder Symposium

California ISO 2013 Stakeholder Symposium Starts Wednesday!

Seems like only yesterday we were closing out the CAISO 2012 Symposium, and looking ahead to a year filled with change.  We were not disappointed.  California launched its greenhouse gas cap-and-trade market this year, renewable energy resources continued their steady build-out, generators that provide frequency control were suddenly getting paid for “mileage” and we are up to our elbows in the FERC 764 market upgrades.  Not coincidentally, seeing a Tesla Model S on the road in the Bay Area became too common to mention, as Tesla was the best selling luxury car in the area,   And on that note, let’s look forward into 2014 and speculate on what may be generating the buzz at CAISO Symposium 2013.

FERC 764.

The FERC 764 Market changes are scheduled to commence market trials in February 2014, a major change that will add a 15 minute market sandwiched between the Day Ahead and Real Time markets currently in operation.  CAISO projects a number of benefits from this change, including enhanced ability to manage imports of renewable energy and better alignment of pricing from day ahead through real time at the interties.

Renewable Energy

Some 2000 MW of new renewable energy resources entered commercial operation in 2012, with close to 3000 MW predicted for 2013.  This will continue to put pressure on flexible generating units to provide critical reliability services into the future, but we at EnDimensions are somewhat chastened in that the amount of new renewable generation in California has exceeded our expectations by about 30%.  The FERC 764 changes will help significantly to support imports of renewable energy but for system reliability, the Next Big Thing is EIM.

Energy Imbalance Market (EIM)

If all goes as planned, CAISO will launch the new Energy Imbalance Market in the Fall of 2014.  The EIM is a real time energy market that will expand the regional scope of the CAISO real time market to allow regions that opt-in to participate in a real time energy market.  Currently the EIM is a two-party deal between CAISO and PacifiCorp, but we expect to see participation across the Western interconnect if the initial launch is successful.  This market should work together with FERC 764 to reduce or eliminate barriers to pooling energy and reserves across the West, potentially aiding in renewable energy integration and reducing costs for all players.  Of course these changes will keep market participants on their toes to accommodate updates in policy, functionality and settlements.

Then of course there are initiatives afoot to encourage more investment in storage, better utilization of DR resources and other interesting topics to follow.  Come by and visit our booth at the symposium for a bit of chocolate and conversation!  Of course we are proud of our EnSuite settlements and analytics packages, so don’t be surprised if we show those off a bit as well.  See you on Wednesday!

EnDimensions Experts to Teach FERC EQR Redesign EUCI Course, June 12-13, 2013, St. Louis, MO

FERC EQR Redesign

EnDimensions experts will conduct a two-day training course hosted by EUCI in St. Louis, MO, June 12-13, 2013.

This program will address the proposed FERC EQR redesign — FERC Orders 768 and 770 — currently targeted to go live in Q3, 2013 based on the latest information from FERC.

Topics will include:

• Regulatory Changes with FERC Orders 768 and 770

• Public Power Applicability

• New Data Requirements with FERC Orders 768 and 770

• It Infrastructure and Software Requirements

• ISO Role in Facilitating FERC EQR Filing

The course will provide perspectives on the new requirement that span IT, legal, software, public power, and ISO implementation measures.

EnDimensions Energy Settlement Experts to Speak at EUCI Conference, February 20-21, 2013, Dallas, TX

BIG DATA IMPACTS OF SETTLEMENT REQUIREMENTS ON ENTERPRISE IT SYSTEMS

EnDimensions will sponsor and exhibit at Improving Settlement Processes for Organized Markets, a two-day conference hosted by EUCI in Dallas, TX, February 20-21, 2013.

EnDimensions’ Chief Architect Valentin Petrov and Thomas Girlich, Manager of CAISO Settlements at PG&E, will provide insights and experience on:

Big Data Impacts of Settlement Requirements on Enterprise IT Systems

• Challenges and software system requirements in maturing energy markets

• Revamping technology to enhance system business requirements and performance

• Managing settlement lifecycle-induced system adjustments and downstream impacts on IT

• Coordinating reporting, data retention, and other dimensions with compliance

Conference Overview:

As RTO/ISO markets have matured in recent years and trading volumes have increased, market participants and the system operators themselves have encountered new challenges in the area of market settlements. These include the need to improve data management, to maximize accuracy so as to avoid the need for costly resettlement to promote accelerated settlements, to streamline business processes, to improve the market’s flexibility and to accommodate new challenges related to the proliferation of bidding increments.

This conference moves beyond simply cataloging these challenges and considers real-world solutions currently being employed to manage them and improve market efficiency and reliability. It provides a comprehensive overview of how ISOs and RTOs across the U.S. are overcoming settlement challenges and the lessons they have learned in the process. Additionally, the conference offers insights into how market participants are flexing their own systems to maximize efficiency and profits.