What is CAISO?
California Independent System Operator · serves ~80% of California + a slice of Nevada
CAISO operates the grid for about 80% of California and a small part of Nevada. It runs one of the most renewable-heavy large grids in the world, and it's the textbook case for the 'duck curve': the dip in net demand at midday when solar floods the grid, followed by a steep evening ramp as the sun sets and people come home.
Managing that ramp is CAISO's defining challenge, and it's why California has built the largest fleet of grid batteries anywhere. CAISO is part of the Western Interconnection and runs a real-time and day-ahead energy market with nodal pricing.
- Type
- ISO
- Region
- Most of California
- Signature
- Solar duck curve + batteries
- Market
- Day-ahead + real-time LMP
Frequently asked questions
What is CAISO?
The California Independent System Operator runs the grid for most of California. It balances one of the world's most solar- and battery-heavy power systems.
What is the duck curve?
It's the shape of net electricity demand in California: solar pushes midday demand down into a belly, then a sharp evening ramp as solar fades and homes light up. Batteries increasingly fill that gap.