Joe Bowring and David Patton often disagree, but they are 100% in agreement on the need for independence in market monitoring.

The record shows that until the last 18 months, the SPP Market Monitoring Unit generally filed only testimony packaged with RTO filings.

SPP has interfered with the autonomy of its internal MMU, according to two former monitors who say they were fired for voicing their concerns.

The independence concerns raised by former SPP market monitors resulted in part from FERC’s compromises in Order 719.

The Monitor reported that the PJM energy, capacity, regulation, synchronized reserve and FTR markets were all competitive in the 2015 State of the Market.

PJM and the Independent Market Monitor asked FERC to revise Capacity Performance rules to address concerns that generators might ignore dispatch instructions to avoid penalties.

The report concluded that PJM's energy, capacity and regulation markets were competitive for the first nine months of the year.

The MRC failed to reach consensus on reducing compensation for Tier 1 synchronized reserves, with proposals by PJM and the Market Monitor both falling short.

PJM Market Monitor Joe Bowring said that the RTO must include strong market-power protections in rules allowing generators to change their offers hourly.

The authors of four competing proposals to change the $1,000/MWh energy market offer cap have agreed to put forward one plan for consideration by the PJM MRC.