Chelan PUD to Boost Revenue by Joining Real-Time Energy Market

Chelan PUD plans to join a real-time energy market to increase its wholesale energy revenue.

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Commissioners voted to join Southwest Power Pool's "Markets+," a day-ahead and real-time energy market made up of a network of electricity providers spanning across the northwest, southwest, and Rocky Mountain states.

The PUD said, by joining Markets+, it can continue to trade efficiently with neighboring energy providers, including Bonneville Power Administration and Puget Sound Energy.
“The way utilities buy and sell energy is changing, and we have to adapt in a way that provides the most value for our customers,” said Chief Energy Resource Officer Janet Jaspers. “It’s in our customer-owners’ interest to choose a centralized energy market that prioritizes reliability, independent governance, and values hydropower.”

Markets+ provides an efficient use of the region's transmission system, improving regional energy flows to better serve customer needs. Markets+ also integrates with the Western Resource Adequacy Program, which is the first regional reliability planning and compliance program in the West.

The PUD said the transition to centralized energy markets is driven by several factors, including more intermittent renewables like wind and solar are coming onto the grid while energy from coal and natural gas is starting to taper.

The PUD invested nearly $1.3 million as one of several utilities funding the estimated $150 million implementation effort. It will join Markets+ in 2028.