Avista signs on to Western Energy Imbalance Market, projecting more renewables integration

Avista signed an agreement on Thursday with the California Independent System Operator (ISO) to participate in its Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM), a move the Washington utility says will help to integrate more renewables into its energy mix. The real-time wholesale energy market launched in 2014 and now has nine active participants with another six utilities pending. Avista said it plans to enter the EIM by April 2022. On Monday, the ISO published "another healthy quarterly report" for the EIM, including $85.3 million in gross benefits in the first quarter of 2019 and more than $650 million in total benefits since the market launched five years ago.