El Paso Electric Commits To Joining Western Energy Imbalance Market in 2023

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) said that it has signed an implementation agreement with El Paso Electric (EPE) to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) in 2023

EPE provides generation, transmission and distribution service to 441,200 retail and wholesale customers in a 10,000-square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico.

As currently constituted, the Western Energy Imbalance Market would not meet the requirements for a qualifying power region under the Texas Public Utility Regulatory Act, which is a requirement for implementation of retail electric choice.

Moreover, El Paso Electric is specifically governed by PURA Sec. 39.553 which goes beyond requiring just a qualifying power region but specifically requires, for El Paso Electric to transition to customer choice, "approval of a regional transmission organization by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the power region that includes the electric utility's service area and commencement of independent operation of the transmission network under the approved regional transmission organization."