ISO unveils vision and strategy for making grid smarter, greener & better

The Plan will keep California one step ahead as it readies for a more environmentally friendly transmission grid powered ultimately by more than 100,000 gigawatt-hours of renewable resources. Emerging technologies are also shaping how consumers use electricity and the Plan incorporates smart grid and demand response advancements into future grid and market resources.

The California ISO Board of Governors validated the vision today in a unanimous vote that puts the ISO on a strategic path focused on three key areas:

• System – identifying the requirements to ensure a stable, reliable foundation for grid and market operations as well as infrastructure planning.

• Environment – promoting the progress necessary to fulfill important environmental policy and regulatory objectives.

• Organization – revealing the enhancements required to secure the resources and tools to manage change and ensure success.

“Our Five-Year Strategic Plan addresses the dramatic changes required of the electricity industry in California over the next decade,” said ISO President and CEO Yakout Mansour. “We engaged stakeholders and tested our vision with experts as part of a collaborative process to envision a future that ensures a reliable grid that also enables ground-breaking environmental goals.”

As California anticipates and adapts to clean air and clean water regulations that impact clean energy goals, the Plan seeks to balance energy and environmental objectives. Multifaceted shifts in demand, resources and infrastructure present complex challenges and opportunities. A unified industry is essential for effectively managing change and creating this new smarter, greener, better paradigm.

The California ISO operates the state’s wholesale transmission grid, providing open and non-discriminatory access supported by a competitive energy market and comprehensive planning efforts. Partnering with more than 90 client organizations, the ISO is dedicated to the continual development and reliable operation of a modern grid that operates at the least cost to the benefit of consumers.

The ISO bulk power market allocates space on transmission lines, maintains operating reserves and matches supply with demand. Recognizing the importance of global climate change, the ISO welcomes new, advanced technologies that will help meet the energy needs of 30 million Californians efficiently and cleanly. The ISO is a nonprofit public benefit corporation.

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