Energy Central CAISO CEO: It takes a village to run the grid
Oct 10, 2025
Elliot Mainzer, CEO of CAISO, brings extensive expertise in grid operations to the discussion. He likens managing today's energy grid to 'flying the plane while building it'. Elliot highlights the vital collaboration between ISOs and states for reliability and the economic benefits of the Western Energy Imbalance Market. He emphasizes the need for data centers to be 'good grid citizens' by offering flexibility and dispatchability. The conversation also covers the future of nuclear energy and reforms to streamline resource integration, ensuring a resilient energy future.
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Grid Reliability Is A Collective Job
- "It takes a village to run a grid"—ISOs, states, and load-serving entities must collaborate on planning and resource adequacy.
- CAISO emphasizes partnership with regulators, utilities, CCAs, and Western neighbors for resilience.
EIM Multiplies Regional Value
- The Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) pools resource diversity and transmission to reduce costs and emissions across the West.
- CAISO reports $7.5 billion in production-cost savings and over one million tonnes of GHG reductions from EIM.
Deploy An Extended Day‑Ahead Market
- Build an extended day-ahead market (EDAM) to further pool resources and attract new partners across the West.
- CAISO plans to bring PacificCorp into EDAM in spring 2026 to expand market benefits.