Centralized source for industry information

Holyoke, MA—June 21, 2007—The ISO/RTO Council (IRC) today announced the launch of its new Web site, designed to provide electric industry representatives, government officials, and electricity consumers a one-stop, information resource about the IRC and its members. The IRC is an industry organization comprised of the 10 independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs) in the United States and Canada. These ISOs and RTOs deliver two-thirds of the electricity consumed in North America to two-thirds of its population.  

IRC members include the Alberta Electric System Operator, California ISO, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Independent Electricity System Operator (Ontario), ISO New England, Midwest Independent System Operator, New Brunswick System Operator, New York Independent System Operator, PJM Interconnection, and Southwest Power Pool. 

“The IRC was established in 2003 by representatives of the North American ISOs and RTOs,” said Gordon van Welie, Chairman of the IRC and CEO of ISO New England Inc. “Its purpose is to work collaboratively to develop effective processes and methods for improving competitive wholesale electricity markets across North America. The launch of the IRC Web site today provides a centralized location where interested parties can get information about IRC efforts.”  

The site serves as a repository for information about the IRC and includes links to the Web sites of individual ISO and RTO members. Some of the other features include: 

• Newsroom
• Reports and other documents, including, The Value of Independent Grid Operators
• Links to bulk power grid conditions in the IRC regions 

The URL of the ISO/RTO Council Web site is http://www.iso-rto.org 

About the IRC

The IRC was created in April 2003, and includes the 10 functioning Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) in North America. The IRC’s mission is to work collaboratively to develop effective processes, tools and standard methods for improving competitive electricity markets across North America. In fulfilling this mission, the IRC’s goal is to balance reliability considerations with market practices resulting in efficient, robust markets that provide competitive and reliable service to users of electricity. For more information, visit the IRC Web site: www.iso-rto.org.