Independent System Operator - Definition and Overview

In the US an Independent System Operator or ISO, is a federally regulated regional organization which coordinates, controls and monitors the operation of the electrical power system.

It also acts as a marketplace in wholesale power, especially since the electricity market deregulation of the late 1990s.

Most are set up as non-profit corporations using governance models developed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC in April 1996.

FERC Order 888/889 required Open Access of the grid to all electricity suppliers and mandated the requirement for an Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) to coordinate transmission suppliers and their customers.

The Canadian equivalent is an IEMO Independent Electricity Market Operator.

External links

• http://www.ferc.gov
• http://www.iso-ne.com ISO New England
• http://www.pjm.com Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland Interconnection