Senate Rules advances two CAISO board nominees after wide-ranging hearing on grid reliability and regional markets

The Senate Rules Committee on Thursday voted to advance the nominations of Jan Shorey and Dr. Severn Borenstein to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Board of Governors after a confirmation hearing that included detailed questioning on grid reliability, transmission, and regional market expansion.

The nominees addressed the committee and answered lawmakers’ questions about California’s path to a decarbonized grid and the operational challenges facing the ISO. “The independent system operator's role is to help ensure that the lights stay on and that the grid operates reliably while we make this transition to a clean energy future,” Jan Shorey said in her opening remarks, citing SB 100 as the state mandate to reach carbon-free resources by 2045.

Why it matters: The CAISO governs real-time operation and market platforms that affect reliability and electricity costs across the state. Committee members pressed nominees on transmission lead times for offshore wind, how the system handles surplus solar and the so-called duck curve, and whether regional market structures would preserve…