PacifiCorp’s defection pressures Northwest utilities to get their act together on energy imbalance market

In other words, such a system could pay for itself almost immediately.

In short, it was a no brainer, a precursor to the kind of "smart grid" transformation that power planners have been talking about for decades, but have largely failed to deliver.

The same thing, many insist, should already be operational in the Northwest. Studies suggest an imbalance market here could conservatively deliver benefits between $70 million and $80 million a year, and perhaps many multiples of that amount. Forecasted startup and operating costs are much lower.

By Ted Sickinger| [email protected]

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