Federal regulators approved the California Independent System Operator’s plan to manage transmission to accommodate renewable resources Dec. 16. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission “conditionally accepts” the state grid operator’s proposal, but modified it to make sure there were no market preferences involved, said Katie Detweiler, FERC office of market regulation analyst. “[CAISO] continues to strive,” said FERC chair Jon Wellinghoff. He added the plan calls for CAISO to expand and formalize all transmission balancing authorities in and out of its grid jurisdiction. Commissioner Marc Spitzer applauded the stakeholder process that led to the grid operator’s proposal, but remarked that FERC “maintains ultimate discretion” over outcomes. He also noted California’s influence on the federal panel, joking that surfboards be checked at security. As a new entry into federal regulators’ box of tools, California’s grid operator creates “a new category of policy-driven transmission facilities considered necessary to meet state and federal policy requirements and directives,” according to FERC. An open bidding process is supposed to be set that allows transmission developers to compete under new policy and economic standards--such as California’s renewables portfolio standard goal. In a related move, federal regulators also approved a CAISO plan to merge large and small generator interconnection procedures into one standardized process. Small generators are assumed to be more on the renewable fueled side. Without standardization, those smaller generators face “increasing delays,” according to FERC.
