Spring Shoulder Conditions and Market-Design Momentum

Across North American power markets, the week of March 14–20, 2026, was characterized more by market design, transmission planning, and interconnection work progressing alongside orderly shoulder-season operations than by urgent operational issues. In the West, CAISO continued publishing daily real-time market-watch reports while advancing EDAM and DAME implementation through parallel operations and stakeholder meetings. Meanwhile, SPP’s western expansion and Markets+ development remained key regional focuses. In ERCOT, the ongoing debate over large-load interconnection continued to shape policy and planning, with updated operational materials highlighting the extent of the active interconnection queue and transmission buildout under review. In Alberta, the provincial market transition gained momentum as government-backed REM ISO rules moved closer to implementation, and the AESO advanced work on financial transmission rights, data-center interconnection requirements, and transmission-planning reform.