California ISO 

The California ISO, the first in the country, became operational in 1998 and runs most of the California electricity grid – the combined transmission facilities of Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Gas Company, and San Diego Gas & Electric Company, and several municipal utilities. 

With an area of 124,000 square miles, the ISO Control Area is the second largest regionally operated transmission grid in the country, after ERCOT (Texas) -- 2.5 times the size of the three-state PJM grid, and about 70% larger than the six-state ISO New England grid.

The ISO oversees over 1,140 power plants, about 300 more than interconnected to the national grids of England and France combined, and more than any other ISO.  These plants supply up to 45,000 MW of capacity at peak to approximately 34 million people (i.e., about 12% of the population of the United States, and 7% of the nation’s peak load).

The ISO has played, and continues to play, a central role in virtually all aspects of California market development (the good, the bad, and the ugly).  It’s virtually impossible to participate in the market here without up-to-date knowledge of the ISO, and its rules and processes.

ISO Board Reports, September 2007, Part 1 and 2

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