Regional expansion of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is not about creating a regional market, which we already have. It is about the governance of CAISO: essentially, changing control of the regional market and the resulting system of costs and benefits. California would no longer determine its own energy policy destiny, but would become a minority player within a western regional authority dominated by coal interests, an authority that is able to override California’s interests. This position paper lays out why CAISO regional expansion is a serious threat to Community Choice energy programs and must be opposed.
Our Position on CAISO Regionalization