posted on Friday, December 15, 2006 11:31 AM by Tracy Davis

CAISO Considers Delaying MRTU Again

California ISO president and CEO Yakout Mansour indicated this past Tuesday that the CAISO would likely delay further the implementation of its new Market Redesign and Technology Upgrade (MRTU) tariff until January 31, 2008.  Mansour attributed the need for further delay to the large number of changes FERC ordered the CAISO to make in FERC's September 21 order conditionally approving the tariff, including FERC's requirement that the CAISO certify 60 days before implementation that the MRTU software works as promised.  During FERC proceedings on MRTU, numerous market participants and stakeholders expressed doubts that the CAISO would meet its November 2007 start date, even though it has been four years since the CAISO initially proposed to redesign its market in 2002 on the heels the western energy crisis.  The CAISO Board will convene December 19 to decide on a "firm" implementation date.