The latest version of California’s “Pathways” bill strips out a previous amendment that would have given state regulators authority to order utilities to withdraw from the RO under certain circumstances.

New amendments to the proposed Pathways bill would include protections against possible attempts by President Donald Trump to influence California energy markets, such as pushing the state to buy coal-fired generation.

TURN is finding some success in getting California state lawmakers to address the group’s concerns about what the Trump administration might do if the state moves forward with plans to hand over control of CAISO’s energy markets to an independent regional organization.

The language for the proposed bill to implement “Step 2” of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative stipulates the conditions under which CAISO and California utilities can participate in energy markets governed by an independent regional organization.

The California Energy Commission will hold a workshop to discuss the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative, signaling the state may consider a proposal to alter CAISO’s governance structure to accommodate broader concerns about the ISO’s lack of independence from politics.

The West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative still grapples with political uncertainties and governance concerns despite efforts to fix those issues, proponents of SPP’s Markets+ contended.

The Pathways Step 2 proposal offers a blueprint for divvying up functions between CAISO and the RO that backers envision will provide an independent framework for governing the ISO’s Western markets.