CAISO releases its first combined Western Energy Markets Quarterly Benefits Report

GO15 member and American power grid operator CAISO has released its inaugural combined Western Energy Markets Quarterly Benefits Report, detailing the integration of both real-time and day-ahead energy market operations.

This publication evaluates regional market coordination across the Western grid. The newly launched Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) optimizes day-ahead energy dispatch, delivering $11.38 million in benefits during its first two months in Q2 2026. Initial gains were distributed among founding participants:

CAISO ($5.96M)
PacifiCorp East ($3.22M)
PacifiCorp West ($2.20M).

Meanwhile, the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) generated $459.71 million in Q2 2026 through real-time supply and demand balancing, pushing cumulative savings past $9.08 billion since 2014. This unified market structure strengthens grid reliability and operational stability across participating Western US balancing authorities.

“The Western electricity sector has entered a new era of regional collaboration,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of the CAISO. “As participation in our energy markets continues to grow, this expanded quarterly report provides stakeholders with a clearer picture of the economic and reliability value these markets create for electricity consumers across the West.”