The real-time market that covers six western states - California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming - culminates work that began in fall 2012 when the Western Interstate Energy Board’s PUC-EIM Group (composed of utility commissioners from 12 states) asked interested western entities to provide a proposal for a real-time imbalance market.
In February 2013, the ISO and PacifiCorp announced plans to jointly develop an EIM using the ISO’s proven state-of-the-art technology and market platform. After running EIM for a month under non-binding conditions, the market became financially binding on November 1.
Renewable integration is another significant benefit of EIM. Wind, solar, geothermal power and other renewable energy resources generated in one state can now be scheduled to meet consumer demand in another. Regional coordination can unlock more efficiency in dispatching renewable resources, can help reduce potential overgeneration of mid-day solar production, and assist states in meeting their renewable energy goals.
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