California Electric Balancing Authority Areas (Retired)

A balancing authority is responsible for operating a transmission control area. It matches generation with load and maintains consistent electric frequency of the grid, even during extreme weather conditions or natural disasters. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is the largest of about 38 balancing authorities in the western interconnection coordinating council (WECC), handling an estimated 35 percent of the electric load in the west. CAISO manages 80 percent of the load in California and a small portion of Nevada.The main balancing authorities in California are:CAISO - California Independent System OperatorBANC - Balancing Authority of Northern CaliforniaLADWP - Los Angeles Department of Water & PowerIID - Imperial Irrigation DistrictTID - Turlock Irrigation DistrictWALC - Western Area Power Administration, Lower ColoradoPacifiCorp WestNV Energy