Western Power Grid Unification
Western leaders have long discussed creating a regional energy market, combining solar power from Arizona, wind from Wyoming, hydro from Washington, and battery storage from California.
This shared resource would meet the demands of 11 states, supporting local power plants with surplus energy from across the region.
A new California law has paved the way for this market, which could lower energy costs, increase grid resilience, and accelerate clean energy deployment.
Proponents say it has the potential to lower energy costs, make the grid more resilient and speed up the deployment of clean energy.
However, the market's success relies on state and utility participation, which is uncertain due to politicized energy issues.
Author's summary: Western states may unite their power grids.