BHE Montana to Join CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market

BHE Montana announced today it intends to join California Independent System Operator’s Extended Day-Ahead Market – also referred to as the EDAM – following its entry into the Western Energy Imbalance Market. Upon joining the regional markets, BHE Montana will add 397.5 megawatts of clean energy generation from three windfarms and 75 megawatts of a battery energy storage system. In June 2024, BHE Montana also announced plans to develop Glacier Solar Park, a new 100-megawatt solar generation project.

“We are excited to announce our plans to integrate more renewable energy into the CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market, enabling us to fully optimize our generation portfolio and enhance reliability and clean energy availability in the West,” said Nancy Murray, president, BHE Montana. “We look forward to continuing to create a unified energy footprint in the region.”

The EDAM, a voluntary day-ahead electricity market, is designed to deliver significant reliability, economic, and environmental benefits to balancing areas and utilities throughout the West. In November 2023, BHE Montana announced plans to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market in May 2026.

“While we continue our work to onboard BHE Montana to the Western Energy Imbalance Market in 2026, we are pleased at their announcement today to build on that collaboration and take the next step to join the EDAM,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO, California ISO. “This forward-thinking planning adds to the growing momentum behind EDAM and reinforces the promise of even greater economic, environmental, and reliability benefits across the West.”

BHE Montana operates the 189-megawatt Rim Rock windfarm near Cut Bank, Montana, as well as the 105-megawatt Glacier I and 103.5-megawatt Glacier II windfarms that span southwest Glacier County and southeast Toole County in northern Montana.

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