Participating with the ISO

New Market Participants California’s changing energy landscape is creating opportunities for many new market participants. Renewable energy providers, transmission developers, demand response entities and cogeneration/combined-heat-and power firms are just a few of the new players in California’s evolving power sector. The California ISO welcomes participation by new market participants. We are committed to making it easy for new players to understand their participation options, so that they may make informed decisions. If you would like more information about participating with the ISO, complete the short form on this page. We’ll contact you soon to discuss your participation alternatives.

Ancillary Services (AS) Ancillary Services Certification is required for Participating Generators and Participating Load to bid Ancillary Services. The Ancillary Services Certification Test Request Form, Procedure, and Testing Process Flowchart are available through this link. Contact the Ancillary Services Test Administrator at ASNotifications@caiso.com with any questions about the test process or procedure.

Convergence Bidding Registration Convergence Bidding is a new market feature which allows a Scheduling Coordinator representing a registered Convergence Bidding Entity (CBE) to submit convergence bids in the Day-Ahead Market. Awards are paid or charged the Day-Ahead price and automatically liquidated at the relevant Hour-Ahead Scheduling Process (HASP) or Real-Time price. Entities must register to become a CBE. Email questions about the registration process to SCApplication@caiso.com.

CRR Registration Process and Registered Entities Prior to being given access to the CRR system, all entities requesting access must complete the registration and qualification process with the ISO, regardless of whether they wish to acquire CRRs by CRR Allocation, CRR Auction or the Secondary Registration System.

Participating Generator (PG) For information on the PG Certification process, please email the Model & Contract Implementation Group.

Participating Load (PL) Specifications for Participating Load(s) seeking to participate in the ISO Non-Spinning Reserves, Replacement Reserves, and Supplemental Energy markets.

Participating Transmission Owner (PTO)

PIRP Process of Participation The Participating Intermittent Resource Program allows intermittent resources (i.e., wind and other resources with an uncontrollable fuel source) to schedule energy in the forward market without incurring imbalance charges when the delivered energy differs from the scheduled amount.

Proxy Demand Resource (PDR) The proxy demand resource (PDR) product allows demand response aggregators, known as Demand Response Providers, to bid demand response on behalf of retail customers directly into the California ISO wholesale energy and ancillary services markets. See the Frequently Asked Questions for general information about demand response participation.

RMR Contracts

Scheduling Coordinator (SC) To understand what entities need scheduling coordinator representation and the process to become a certified scheduling coordinator, review the Business Practice Manual (BPM) for Scheduling Coordinator Certification and Termination located on the Scheduling Coordinator (SC) Certification web page. For additional information on the SC Certification process, email questions to SC Applications.

Station Power Program Station Power is the energy used to operate auxiliary equipment and other load that is directly related to the production of energy by a generating unit. Through the station power program, generators can convert their station power from retail service to wholesale service.