California ISO Will Help Track Renewable Energy
Sep 22 - Business Wire
The California Independent System Operator Corporation (California ISO) is
offering a new service to its market participants that will help them meet
the state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The California ISO recently
became a Qualified Reporting Entity (QRE) in the Western Renewable Energy
Generation Information System (WREGIS).
WREGIS was formed as a west wide information bank to track and report
renewable energy production and to issue Renewable Energy Certificates (REC).
Similar to the California ISO using scheduling coordinators as
intermediaries with generators, WREGIS will use QREs to facilitate the
reporting function. The California ISO plans to automate as much of this
function as possible and offer it as a free service to its market
participants.
"This is another way the ISO can offer value to our market participants that
translates into real value to California consumers as well," said California
ISO President and CEO Yakout Mansour. "We already track production from
generators--so it's very cost effective to expand this activity to cover
WREGIS reporting needs. We can help market participants meet their RPS
goals--and do it at no additional cost to them."
Several California load serving entities and renewable generators have
expressed interest in having the California ISO act as their QRE. The
California ISO has developed a streamlined process for parties to apply to
receive WREGIS QRE services. More information about this process can be
found at www.caiso.com/2030/2030d50320680.pdf.
The Western Electricity Coordinating Council, the California Energy
Commission (CEC) and the Western Governors Association are the sponsoring
co-founders of WREGIS, which went on line in mid 2007. Its goal is to track
renewable energy production and procurement and facilitate the growth of
renewable energy throughout the Western U.S.
One of the CEC goals is to establish a tracking and verification system for
compliance with California's RPS. The CEC requires that RPS-certified
facilities, retail sellers, procurement entities and third parties register
and participate in the WREGIS as part of California RPS compliance.
The California ISO has participated in the implementation process and
recently completed the certification process. As a QRE, the California ISO
will report renewable generation output data into the WREGIS tracking system
on behalf of generator owners. WREGIS then issues a REC, termed a WREGIS
Certificate, for each reported megawatt-hour of eligible generation.
The California ISO is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation charged
with managing the flow of electricity along California's open-market
wholesale power grid. The mission of the California ISO is to safeguard the
reliable delivery of electricity, and ensure equal access to 25,000 circuit
miles of "electron highway." As the impartial operator of the wholesale
power grid in the state, the California ISO conducts a small portion of the
bulk power markets. These markets are used to allocate space on the
transmission lines, maintain operating reserves and match supply with demand
in real time.
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