Sierra Nevada Energy Imbalance Market Activities

​Sierra Nevada successfully transitioned (PDF)​ into the California Independent System Operator’s Western Energy Imbalance Market March 25, 2021. As a result, this webpage will no longer be updated.

SN and the Balancing Are​a of North​ern California jointly announced their intent​ to sign a participation agreement with CAISO Sept. 4, 2019 as part of BANC’s Phase II EIM initiative.

Joining CAISO’s Western EIM will allow SN to keep pace with industry changes and ensure the reliable delivery of hydropower while adjusting to a changing energy mix. Further information on the rationale to join the EIM is available in a recommendation memo (PDF)​.

Between June 4 and Aug. 14, 2019, SN completed a gap analysis and hosted four customer meetings to discuss key issues and respond to customer and stakeholder questions. The documents from this outreach effort are below.

Questions and answers (PDF)​ from all EIM customer meetings

Meeting presentations

Aug. 14, 2019: Energy Imbalance Markets in the West customer meeting presentation (PDF) and agenda (PDF)​
July 30, 2019: Energy Imbalance Markets in the West customer meeting presentation (PDF) and agenda​​ (PDF)
July 16, 2019: Energy Imbalance Markets in the West customer meeting presentation (PDF) and agenda (PDF)
June 27, 2019: Energy Imbalance Markets in the West customer meeting presentation (PDF) and agenda (PDF)
​June 4, 2019: Energy Imbalance Markets slides (PDF) from Central Valley Project annual customer meeting

Categorical Exclusion

SN Exploration of Energy Imbalance Market​ (PDF)

Background

SN operates as a sub-Balancing Authority within BANC’s balancing authority area. BANC and its members have been evaluating CAISO’s Western EIM since 2016, and adopted a “phased approach” that allowed each member to independently evaluate joining the EIM over the next several years.

As part of Phase I, SMUD decided to participate in CAISO’s Western EIM in October 2016 and became a member (PDF) in spring 2019.

Phase II includes SN and several BANC members.

 

Last modified on September 13th, 2024