California’s grid under pressure: affordability, AI, and the future of electricity markets

In this episode of The Energy Gang, Ed Crooks hosts Amy Myers Jaffe and Elliot Mainzer to discuss the energy landscape in California, focusing on rising electricity prices, grid management, and future energy plans. Mainzer details CAISO's efforts to mitigate costs through efficient transmission planning, interconnection queue reforms, and market operations, while Jaffe raises concerns about the impact of individual energy initiatives and the integration of distributed energy resources. The conversation explores the role of data centers, the importance of regional collaboration through the Western energy imbalance market, and the challenges of balancing reliability, affordability, and the integration of renewable energy sources to meet California's ambitious climate goals.