Company Updates

February 2026: ZG Comments on CAISO Congestion Reform

Submit comment on Issue Paper, Straw Proposal on Product Definition, Issue Paper on Revenue Adequacy and Auction Efficiency Enhancements and Jan 21st discussion

Initiative: Congestion revenue rights enhancements

Proponent: ZGlobal (Scheduling Coordinator)

Date: February 6, 2026

Executive Summary: Market Stability over Regulatory Bandages

ZGlobal appreciates the tremendous work and information the ISO staff has provided. As a veteran in the ISO market and an active participant, we believe the problem is much simpler to solve and requires practical, technically sound and not a regulatory solution. The concept of “no market is better than a loss-making market” should be the last resort. Simple fixes have been required for long time. It’s time we pay attention to stakeholders and make changes!

Since the ISO inception in 1998, ZGlobal staff have been involved in various aspects of the CAISO market, from holding several ISO management roles, operating the ISO market including CRR, and eventually being market participants. We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback to the CRR enhancements initiative.

Thank you

Ziad Alaywan

ZGlobal Inc.

1. Please provide your organization’s comments on the straw proposal on CRR TOU period changes (slides 10-20 of the CAISO presentation).

ZGlobal agrees that the current TOU period needs to be addressed and is misaligned with hedging needs. We support moving to sub-hourly or even hourly and provide the following comments on this topic:

The CRR auction remains the only ISO market failing to utilize hourly bidding.

Misalignment: All other ISO markets: Day-Ahead, Real-Time, and the Western bilateral markets have moved to hourly or sub-hourly granularity.
Obsolete Definitions: The 16-hour “Peak” block is a 25-year-old paradigm where renewables and intermittent generation was non-existent. The current CRR auction of clearing one price for 16 hours (on peak) and another price for 8 hours (Off-peak) fails to capture morning ramps and midday solar abundance and evening ramps. This “blunt instrument” is the primary driver of revenue inadequacy, as the CRR model cannot hedge the hourly volatility of the Day-Ahead Market. For instance, if I am forced to provide one bid in the current CRR auction to cover 16 hours, then, I will bet that ratepayers will always lose and the bidder never gets a full hedge efficiently. Let me demonstrate what I believe is the core of the problem through this example:
- Assume I have a 100 MW solar and battery assets and want to hedge congestion. I participate in the CRR auction for the 16-hr product. If the 4 hours in the evening have a congestion value of 50$/MWh and the 8 hours midday have a congestion value of -5 $/MWh, the 16-hours average bid might be 10 $/MWh. If I bid 10 $/MWh, I cannot even get close to a decent hedge because I am $40 short for the 4 hours in the evening and $15 long during the 8 hours midday.
- So rather, I try something different and bid 16 $/MWh which is the weighted average for the 16 hours. Assume I paid the ISO $16,000 for the contract in the CRR auction for a 100 MW CRR. In the day ahead market, assume the ISO collects $20,000 in congestion revenue during the 16-hour period. Ratepayers pay me $20,000 but only collected $16,000 from me at the auction, ratepayers are 80% efficient. The CRR bidder paid $16,000 at auction and received $20,000 from day ahead congestion revenues, making $4,000.
- There is not a way to bid in such a way to efficiently hedge hourly congestion. Ratepayers are not losing money because of ‘speculation’; they are losing money because the ISO is selling a bundled product that forces buyers to discount their bids to account for midday counter-flow liabilities. By moving to hourly granularity, the ISO would allow market participants to bid $50 for the evening hours specifically. The ISO could then collect the full $50 (increasing revenue) and the ratepayer would receive a fair market price instead of a discounted ‘average’.
This is an accounting smoothing which does not accurately reflect CRR value. This has been a problem for two decades and has led to revenue inadequacy because of the mis-alignment of the CRR product to actual hourly congestion costs and hedging needs.

2. Please provide your organization’s comments on the straw proposal on the treatment of storage resources (slides 22-27 of the CAISO presentation).

ZGlobal would like CAISO to consider how to provide CRR hedges for storage locations (sinks) in combination with moving to hourly or sub-hourly CRR product.

BESS hedging Paradox: Using a 16-hour CRR to hedge charging and discharging congestion costs is particularly toxic for storage.

Charging vs. Discharging: Typically, battery resources charge during the “Solar Belly” (HE10-17) and discharge during the “Evening Neck” (HE18-22).
The Conflict: To hedge the discharge (generation), participants need a CRR with a Source at the battery location. But that same CRR becomes a liability when you are charging (load) because you are now paying for the congestion you are creating. It is not possible to “un-buy” the midday portion of a CRR 16-hour block.

Let’s say a bidder wants to idle the battery 4 hours in the morning, charge the battery for the next 8 hours and the expected congestion cost is -10 $/MWh with total value at $8000 (ISO pays the bidder). During the 4 hours in the evening that the battery is discharging, the expected congestion cost is 60 $/MWh or $24,000 (ISO pay the bidder).

To bid on the 16-hour block, the bidder determines the net value across the entire 16 hours to be = $24,000 -$8,000 = $16,000/16hrs = 10 $/MWh. If the auction clears at the bidder’s 10 $/MWh bid, the ISO collects $16,000 from the bidder. However, in the Day-Ahead Market, the actual congestion occurs as predicted,

ISO Revenue In: $16,000 (Auction Bid)
ISO Payout Out: $24,000 (Evening Congestion Rent)
Net Ratepayer Loss: $8,000

This results in an Efficiency Ratio of 0.67. The ISO received $0.67 for every $1.00 it paid out. This illustrates how the 67% efficiency seen in the 2024 DMM Annual Report can be a result of the current design. Contrary to the DMM assertion, this shows that the bidder did not “under-bid”. Rather, the bidder determined the exact fair value of the 16-hour block and the outcome still results in ratepayers’ inadequacy. The ratepayer loss occurred because the ISO bundled the valuable evening hours ($60/MWh) with the negative-value midday hours (-$10/MWh).

If the ISO offered both hourly granularity and the ability to sink at the storage resource, the bidder could have bid $60 for the evening hours. The ISO would have collected the full $24,000, and the ratepayer would have been made whole. The inability to bid hourly in the CRR auction results in a mathematically certain shortfall for the ISO. From the bidder perspective, because it is impossible to value a 16-hour block accurately, many participants resort to “discount bidding.” They bid significantly lower than the expected value to create a “risk buffer.” However, even if the bidder did not “discount their bid” to overcome the 16-hour trap, as shown in the example above, the ISO still under collects revenue.

Ratepayer Impact: In the current model, bidders aren’t being greed, they are pricing in the “granularity risk” of being forced to buy 12 hours of useless hedge just to get 4 hours of protection.

Modeling Impact: In the past, moving from 2 products (Peak/Off-Peak) to 24 hourly products increases the mathematical variables in their Simultaneous Feasibility Test (SFT) by 12x. This significantly increases the risk of the auction software failing to clear (a “non-convergent” solution). If this is a constraint to implementing hourly granularity, we believe CAISO needs to at minimum provide sub-hourly products aligned with solar and non-solar hrs defined appropriately based on season (winter and summer).

3. Please provide any other comments your organization has on the Issue Paper and Straw Proposal on Product Definition published December 12 and the accompanying discussion on January 21.

4. Please provide your organization’s comments on the discussion of potential measures to enhance revenue adequacy (slides 33-45 of the CAISO presentation). Which (if any) of the measures would your organization prioritize for further consideration and why?

5. Are there any changes your organization believes could help improve revenue adequacy that are not included in the Issue Paper?

We support measures to eliminate the haircut and guarantee 100% payouts to restore “bid-to-value” ratio.

We support using a rolling balancing account to smooth volatility, retaining surplus to cover defcits.

6. Please provide your organization’s comments on the discussion of potential measures to enhance auction design and efficiency (slides 47-58 of the CAISO presentation). Which (if any) of the measures discussed would your organization prioritize for further consideration and why?

We view the current “Willing Seller” proposal as an unnecessary regulatory bandage that shifts an immense technical burden onto Load Serving Entities (LSEs) and ignores the fundamental need for product modernization. CAISO must focus on product evolution and the successful implementation of EDAM rather than passing its modeling responsibilities to participants. Under the best-case scenario, the willing seller proposal could end up causing the opposite problem as the LSE would rather over collect than under collect resulting in expensive or unhedged positions and would ultimately raise the energy price to consumers.

The “Willing Seller” model essentially offloads market-making risks from the ISO to LSEs which we view as a bandage rather than a stable market solution.

Technical Gap: Smaller LSEs and CCAs lack the GW-scale modeling capabilities and nodal software that the ISO possesses. Shifting this burden creates a fragmented market where participants hoard rights due to valuation uncertainty.

• EDAM Priority: With EDAM go-live planned for May 1, 2026, launching an illiquid new CRR structure is impractical. The ISO must prioritize a design that supports regional expansion, not one that collapses liquidity.

We propose that until the hourly or sub-hourly auction is available, CAISO should raise the bid flood in the monthly auction to help the revenue inadequacy
The Revenue Floor: Any under-collection identified in the Annual Auction should mechanically raise the minimum bid floor in the subsequent Monthly Auction, protecting ratepayers while maintaining 100% payout firmness.

7. Are there any changes your organization believes could help improve auction efficiency that are not included in the Issue Paper?

8. Please provide any other comments your organization has on the Issue Paper on Revenue Adequacy and Auction Efficiency Enhancements published January 14 and the accompanying discussion on January 21.

Price discovery and transparency have a tangible value that outweighs the “accounting loss” of revenue inadequacy. If the CRR market becomes an unpredictable “black box,” Participants don’t just stop buying CRRs—they change their behavior in the Day-Ahead Market (DAM). If a generator expects congestion to be $10/MWh but fears it could spike to $50/MWh with no way to hedge, they will add a “risk premium” to their energy bid (e.g., bidding $65 instead of $50). An increase of just $1/MWh in energy bids across the CAISO footprint due to congestion uncertainty would cost California consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.

If the CRR market is seen as a “rigged game” where payouts are always haircut and products (like the 16-hour block) don’t match reality, the following spiral occurs:

Energy Prices Spike: All unhedged risks are eventually passed to the ratepayer through the DAM.

Liquidity Dries Up: Only the most aggressive speculative traders remain.

Hedging Value Vanishes: Physical players (LSEs/Generators) abandon the market.

Bilateral Costs Rise: Without a liquid CRR benchmark, private bilateral contracts become more expensive to negotiate.

February 2026: Targeted Training Program to California Community Power (CCP)

ZG was awarded a contract with CCP to provide structural training covering over 40 topics relevant to utility planning, operations and markets with a focus on the WECC area and CAISO. CC Power is a Joint Powers Agency comprised of nine California Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs).

CCP Training Categories included:

Strategic Siting and Access to Transmission,
Transmission Rights Procurement, Wheeling, and Cost Exposure,
Policy, Market Design, and Regulatory Engagement,
Transmission Ownership and Investment Strategies, and
Market Strategy and Portfolio Optimization.

For each of the 40 plus topics, ZG created a white paper followed by a formal presentation to participants. The specialist training was conducted over four sessions and added by over 45 client staff members.

February 2026: ZG is Certified for CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM)

ZG successfully completed CAISO certification for the Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). This qualification allows us to assist clients in participating in CAISO’s Day-Ahead Market without the requirement of joining CAISO as a full member.

Non-CAISO member utilities shared resources primarily in “real-time” (minutes before delivery) via the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM). EDAM extends this collaboration into the “day-ahead” timeframe, where the vast majority of energy transactions occur.

This shift unlocks significant cost savings and improves renewable integration. By planning unit commitment—deciding which power plants to bring online—across a massive regional footprint 24 hours in advance, utilities can optimize operations more effectively than ever before.

The Day-Ahead Market (DAM) is significantly larger than the Real-Time Market (RTM). In terms of energy volume, the Day-Ahead Market typically accounts for 95% to 98% of all electricity transactions. The Real-Time Market handles only the remaining 2% to 5%.

Think of it this way: The Day-Ahead Market is the main grocery run where you buy almost everything you expect to need for the week. The Real-Time Market is the convenience store run where you make five minutes before dinner because you realize you forgot the salt.

Why is a Day-Ahead Market Needed? If electricity is consumed in real-time, why do we need to buy and sell it 24 hours in advance? The reasons come down to Physics, Economics, and Reliability.

Physics: The “Unit Commitment” Problem: This is the most critical operational reason. Large power plants cannot just flip a switch and turn on instantly.
- Nuclear and Steam Gas Plants: These massive generators need hours (or even days) to heat up and synchronize with the grid.
- The “Start” Signal: If you only had a Real-Time market, these plants wouldn’t know when to turn on. The Day-Ahead Market provides the financial signal and the physical schedule (called “Unit Commitment”) that tells these plants, “We will need you tomorrow at 4:00 PM, so start warming up now and make sure your batteries are fully charged.”
Economics: Price Certainty: The Real-Time Market is incredibly volatile. Prices can swing from negative numbers to thousands of dollars per megawatt-hour in the span of minutes due to a sudden cloud over a solar farm or a transmission line tripping.
- Hedging Risk: Utilities and generators prefer stability. The Day-Ahead Market allows them to lock in a price for the vast majority of their energy, protecting them from extreme price spikes in the Real-Time Market.
Reliability: Congestion Management: The transmission grid has physical limits (lines can only carry so much power before they overheat).
- Traffic Control: If everyone tries to push power through the same transmission line at the same time, the grid gets congested.
- Solving it Early: The Day-Ahead Market runs complex software to simulate tomorrow’s grid. If it sees a “traffic jam” (congestion) predicted for tomorrow, it re-routes power now (by scheduling different generators) to prevent the grid from becoming unstable.

This huge difference in volume is exactly why the EDAM is such a big deal for Western utilities. Previously, by only participating in the WEIM (Real-Time), utilities were only sharing that 5% “slice” of the pie. By moving to EDAM, they are now unlocking the ability to trade and optimize the 95% “main course” across the entire region.

January 2026: State of California predicts California load will nearly double by 2040.

The California Energy Commission’s (CEC) most recent California load forecast, which was produced as part of the state Integrated Resource Planning process forecast an over 70% increase from 2024. This increase is both significant and unprecedented growth in the next decade fueled by mainly electric vehicles and data centers. This has led the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to require the utilities to procure additional energy and capacity from renewable resources for the period 2029 through 2032.

The new procurement required is 2,000 megawatts (MW) of net qualifying capacity (NQC) by 2030 and an additional 4,000 MW NQC by 2032, with no more than half of the total NQC per tranche eligible to come from storage resources.

Technology Constraints: To ensure resource diversity, no more than 50% of the procurement in each tranche can come from standalone energy storage (batteries). This is intended to force the development of generational resources like wind, solar, and geothermal rather than just storage.

The CPUC cited the main driver for this new mandate is the raising of load forecast. The CEC’s 2024 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) projected significantly higher electricity demand than previously expected, driven largely by data center growth and EV adoption. Managed load is expected to grow by 157 TWh (from 214 TWh in 2024 to 371 TWh in 2040). Approximately 80% of this growth is driven by EVs, building electrification (AAFS), and data centers.

By 2040, load growth from EVs is 23% of total managed load, followed by building electrification (10%) and data centers (8%)

ZG monitors such important developments and advises our clients of the impact that such regulations will have on the energy landscape. ZG continues to assist many large development activities and also provides 24x 7 asset management handling services over 10 TWH of California ISO load or about 3000 MW peak demand and over 7,000 MW of supply of which 50% of is generated by California geothermal generators.

December 2025: Financial Operational Modeling of Hydro Pump Storage

Hydro Pump storage consists of two large water reservoirs located at different elevations, an Upper Reservoir: The “charged” state and a Lower Reservoir: the “discharged” state.

The system switches between two modes depending on the needs of the electrical grid.

Charging: Storing Energy (Pumping): This happens when electricity is economical, demand is low (like at night), or there is too much renewable energy being produced (e.g., excess solar or high river flows that would otherwise be wasted/curtailed). The facility uses surplus electricity to turn the turbines backward (acting like pumps). They push water from the Lower Reservoir up to the Upper Reservoir. The “battery” is charging. The water sitting at the top hold’s potential energy.

Discharging: Generating Energy (Discharging): This happens when electricity demand is high (like hot afternoons when air conditioning is running) and prices are expensive. The facility opens the gates at the Upper Reservoir. Gravity pulls the water down through large pipes (penstocks) to the Lower Reservoir. The rushing water spins the turbines (just like a normal dam), generating electricity that is sent back to the grid.

In 2025, ZGs conducted a physical assessment of the proposed facility and went beyond to generate concrete financial metrics. By combining deterministic and probabilistic models, we successfully quantified the following key performance indicators (KPIs):

Annual Revenue Projections. ZG estimated the total expected income from the hydro pump storage project over 40 years. We used the Probabilistic (PRA) model to simulate varying hydrological conditions (wet vs. dry years), natural gas prices, annual load growth and market prices and other drivers. This produced a distribution curve showing likely revenue ranges rather than just a single static number (e.g., “We have 90% confidence revenue will exceed $X million”).

Annual Cost Expenditures. Operational expenditure (Opex) is required to run the pumps during high-flow events. Among the Opex costs are the pumping and opportunity costs. We applied forecasted energy prices to calculate the cost of pumping water to the upper reservoir, opportunity cost when the operation is prohibited during events such as high water runoff, transmission constraints.

December 2025: ZG Launches Advanced Interface and API for Hybrid and Storage Asset Optimization

ZG officially launched a secure API designed to empower clients managing the complex environment of battery storage and hybrid generation resources.

As the energy sector evolves, the objectives for managing solar, wind, and storage assets are becoming increasingly distinct. Whether driven by physical resource limitations or complex contractual agreements from power purchase agreements (PPA), ZGlobal recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution.

Customization is a key feature of ZGlobal’s 24×7 CAISO market participation offering. Our new secure interface and API allow us to accommodate a client’s chosen optimization strategy or provide our own. This flexibility ensures that whether a client needs to manage local transmission congestion or maximize capacity revenue while minimizing cycles, the portfolio is managed strictly according to their objectives.

Streamlining Market Participation A critical component of this launch is the integration with the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) markets. ZG combines these custom strategies with its own scheduling interface, capable of handling the high transaction volumes of the Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). This results in a scalable process that connects to CAISO with minimal manual intervention.

ZG successfully implemented this flexible approach across a dozen different co-located, hybrid, and standalone energy storage resources, proving its capability to deliver tailored solutions in a high-stakes market.

November 2025: Pumping Curtailment Risk Analysis

In support of a new reservoir project in northern California, ZG performed an assessment to determine the risk of physical curtailment of pumping operations. The project performs pumping operations during high river flows when water would normally flow out to the ocean. The ZG analysis considered multiple scenarios under high load conditions to assess the curtailment risk. This analysis helped guide our client in its decision process related to serving the pumping operations load with firm vs as available power supply.

September 2025: Assisting Small Businesses

While ZG generally works with larger entities, utilities, and developers, we also see the value in supporting small businesses. The ZG team was contacted by an organic farming operation in support of a failing of a behind the meter solar photovoltaic system. ZG provided on-site diagnostics and remediation to get the system up and running to offset utility charges. Additionally, ZG staff reviewed the customers’ bills and rate plan and provided recommendations to minimize future costs and a change in rate plan.

September 2025: Dual Purpose Generation – Data Center Backup and Market Revenues

In 2025, ZGlobal Inc. (ZG) conducted a comprehensive analysis for a large data center that will be served from a new on-site reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) units located on an existing natural gas site connecting to the California Independent Operator’s (CAISO) balancing authority area. The analysis was conducted to forecast the potential revenue of connecting the RICE units directly to the grid and the data center via an automatic transfer switch. Under normal conditions, the data center load will be served by the local utility with the RICE units as a back-up source. If the data center experiences any interruption in its service from the utility, the RICE units will automatically transfer its generation to serve the data center load.

Phase 1 proposes the installation of RICE units totaling 100MW, to serve the data center’s entire electric load when the primary source of electricity, the local utility, is unavailable. During the period when the data center’s load is served by the local utility, the RICE units will be connected to the grid providing the ability to participate in the CAISO markets. Given the RICE units heat rate of 7.7 MMBtu/MWh, its strategic location near a strong natural gas supply, interconnection availability, and its low carbon emission rate make collocating with the data center a viable option.

ZG sought to confirm or disprove viability by quantifying the benefits and the cost of the RICE units participating in the CAISO wholesale market and if so, what would be the expected revenue.

The functions of the RICE units include the following:

Primary Backup Source: The RICE units serve as a reliable, cost-effective backup power source dedicated to the data center’s own load.
CAISO Market Participation: During periods when the RICE units are not required for data center backup, the facility will be dispatched to participate in the CAISO wholesale markets.

The RICE units would generate revenue from three primary market sources, CAISO’s energy market, CAISO’s ancillary services market, and Resource Adequacy bilateral contracts with Load Serving Entities (LSEs).

The evaluation concludes that the forecasted average annual revenue is $56 million from CAISO’s energy markets and $21 million in Resource Adequacy value, totaling $77 million. The RICE units forecasted annual cost including Capex (EPC, finance, equity, debt cost) and Opex (including fuel cost) is estimated $60 million/year. The net annual nominal revenue is $17 million per year ($77 million/year in revenue minus $60 million/year in costs).

ZG’s assessment concludes that the project is financially robust, with total benefits significantly outweighing the costs.

Net Present Value (NPV): The project yields a positive NPV of approximately $225 million from energy, ancillary services and Resource Adequacy revenues.
Benefit-to-Cost (B/C) Ratio: The ratio stands at 1.31, indicating that for every dollar spent, the project generates a $1.31 of revenue.
Total Benefits (PV 5% discount rate): $963 million.
Total Costs (NPV 5% discount rate): $737 Million.

Conclusion:

The $510 million equity Capex investment, produces an annual revenue averaging $77 million resulting in an unlevered IRR of 14%. The large B/C ratio allows for cost increases of 30.7% or revenue decreasing by 23.5% before the project hits a breakeven point, that is NPV is equal to $0).

June 2025: Transmission Line Expansion Analysis

ZGlobal is performing an analysis of a major transmission line to assess the benefits (capacity and financial) of upgrading this line to 500 kV. The analysis includes both power flow and production cost simulations. In addition, ZGlobal is evaluating various monetization strategies for the developer and working with Arizona utilities on configuration options and ownership incentives.

June 2025: ZG Enhances its Quantitative Analysis Capabilities

ZGlobal has signed a software agreement with Yes Energy for its EnCompass Power Market Simulation Software. EnCompass is a production cost modeling and optimization solution that ZGlobal will use to generate market energy price forecasts, evaluate the impact of generation and transmission development on dispatch, curtailment, and economic benefits, and support data-driven decision-making. ZGlobal will use this software in both the short term, optimizing the generation and load portfolio under our 24×7 management, and for long-term valuation of generation and transmission projects.

ZGlobal also utilizes Yes Energy’s PowerCore: a software package designed for power market bidding, scheduling, settlements, ETRM, contract management, e-Tagging, and analytics in both bilateral and organized markets.

June 2025: Southern California Utility Scale Microgrid

ZGlobal will perform multiple optimization analyses to determine the most cost-effective combination of data center (load) and geothermal, solar, and battery storage for up to 550 MW of a combined system operating as a green energy microgrid independent of the utility system. The analysis will evaluate system performance across a chronological 8,760-hour annual profile over multiple years to assess the reliability of supplying the data center with 100% green energy. Additionally, we will evaluate the optimal price of electricity from these various resources’ generation profile.

June 2025: CAISO Negative Pricing Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the impact of renewables curtailments and negative prices in the California ISO Market. Full report can be found here.

May 2025: Southern California Renewable Portfolio Acquisition

ZGlobal assisted in the successful M&A of three projects comprising 400 MW solar and battery storage systems. Previously, Zglobal led the efforts in providing and completing all development activities, including:

Securing three interconnection agreements,
Securing safe harbor transformers,
Financial model preparation
Overseeing all environmental technical studies
Obtaining county permit approval, county roads and BLM right of way.

ZGlobal represented the Seller during the four-month due diligence process and has completed the acquisition.

May 2025: Day-Ahead and Real-Time Bidding Strategy Analysis

ZGlobal’s Market Analytics team continued to work with Yuba County Water Agency to perform a backcast of its 2024 bidding strategy and provide observations and recommendations to improve Day-Ahead and Real-Time opportunities. ZGlobal will present its findings and provide training on the strategies to the Agency in the second week of June 2025.

May 2025: Electrical Engineering Services for Digestor Generator in the Central Valley

ZGlobal was retained to provide a “flat run and bump test” model to be used as part of the expansion of several digester systems in the California central valley. The flat run and bump test is to verify the dynamic performance of the generators using the methane gas.

California has 243 dairy digester projects capturing methane from 271 dairy farms, and creating either renewable electricity, renewable natural gas, or hydrogen fuel. Approximately 68 of the digesters are currently operational, with the rest in development.

April 2025: IID Interconnection Process and Transition Cluster

ZGlobal’s engineering team provided technical support for 18 of the 22 projects remaining in the IID interconnection process following their recent queue reform and tariff revisions. The 18 projects represent 92% of the total MW (2990) remaining in the study process. Further, ZGlobal performed a “shadow study” to gain an early view of the Transition Cluster to assist many clients in the queue to make educated business decisions based on expected system upgrades and interconnection facilities.

April 2025: Desalination Plant Feasibility analysis

ZGlobal was selected to perform the Feasibility Study for a new desalination plant on the California Coast. ZGlobal was tasked to provide and evaluate 12 alternatives that passed the screening analysis task. The evaluation shall include the following, as appropriate for each alternative under consideration:

Location of existing power transmission, distribution, and production facilities that could be used for the project alternatives.
Electrical infrastructure size, capacity, length, and approximate alignment required to support proposed facilities.
Planning level cost estimates for potential electrical infrastructure improvements required to support proposed facilities.
A detailed description and review of an all-inclusive GIS map.
Provide input on preliminary qualitative/quantitative scoring of each screening criterion.

April 2025: Engineering and Design of Renewable Projects in the Northwest

ZGlobal was retained to provide electric engineering design and modeling (both steady state and transient) of transformers, substation and gen-tie design for a total of 600 MW of renewable energy connecting to the high-voltage system in the Northwest.

March 2025: CAISO Cluster 15

ZGlobal successfully submitted 10 projects totaling over 3.5 GW of renewable energy projects to CAISO Cluster 15. All projects were deemed complete and valid by CAISO and the various PTOs after being subjected to extreme scrutiny and various technical validations. Cluster 15 represents the first application of CAISO’s reformed Tariff and Interconnection Process Enhancements associated with the FERC 2023 Order. We are proud to achieve a 100% success rate.

March 2025: SMUD Power Generation System Studies and Coordination

ZGlobal’s engineering team is actively coordinating with multiple organizations—including CAISO, PG&E, MID, TID, WAPA, Roseville, and CCSF/HHWP—on behalf of SMUD. This engagement spans a portfolio of projects totaling over 930 MW and involves conducting comprehensive system studies for SMUD’s solar PV, hybrid, and battery energy storage system (BESS) assets.

March 2025: Berger Foundation Distribution Substation

ZGlobal is engineering a new distribution substation and load profile forecast, including steady-state and dynamic models for a new customer load located in Palm Desert, CA. ZG assisted the client through the transmission customer load interconnection process, which was approved by the local utility.

March 2025: Thermal Ranch Substation

ZGlobal initiated development activities to construct a new distribution substation to serve a new equestrian community load in Thermal, CA. ZGlobal created and tested dynamic models for projects and produced GE PSLF change file for the anticipated load consumption. Complete detailed technical forms, including all required data to create an accurate profile and submit to the local utility for approval.

February 2025: Southern California Data Center Load Analysis

ZGlobal is to conduct a time-based analysis covering a full year to determine the size of a data center that could reliably be served by multiple behind-the-meter resources while minimizing reliance on the bulk electric grid. The analysis included a combination of resources, including PV, BESS and base-loaded generation with annual maintenance outages. The intent is to size the data center loads with 100% renewable energy.

February 2025: Engineering Design for an Idaho Renewable and Battery Project

ZGlobal was retained to provide electrical engineering services for a 100 MW solar, and 100 MW battery system connected to the Fort Hall–Blackfoot transmission line east of Idaho. The engagement includes electric engineering design and modeling (both steady state and transient) of inverters, plant and all electric components of the project and coordinating with local utility.

February 2025: Load Interconnection Feasibility Analysis

ZG is to conduct a load interconnection feasibility study connecting up to 550 MW of load to PG&E’s system in the California central valley. The scope includes evaluation of the transmission capability and the system performance under N-0 (Normal) and N-1 / N-2 (Emergency) contingency conditions. System performance shall be assessed against WECC/NERC TPL-001-5 Transmission Planning Standard to identify any steady state and transient stability and system upgrade costs.

February 2025: San Diego County Renewables Acquisition

ZGlobal was retained on behalf of the buyer to assist in performing the due diligence to acquire a 90 megawatt (MW) solar energy facility paired with a battery energy storage system of up to 90 MW (360 MWh). The Project components include approximately 300,000 bifacial photovoltaic modules fitted on single axis trackers, a battery energy storage system, inverter/transformer platforms, an underground electrical collection system, a collector substation, switchyard facilities, security fencing, and internal access. The development footprint of the proposed solar facility is approximately 626 acres connecting to the Carrizo Gorge Switchyard 138 kV. ZG is to provide an assessment of the interconnection agreement, deliverability, Power Purchase Agreement, Facilities Transfer Agreement and feasibility of construction plan completion.

January 2025: Mosquito Fire Expert Witness

ZGlobal was retained by a legal firm to support a local water district with their legal action against the local utility related to the lost revenue from their hydroelectric assets due to the Mosquito Fire of 2022. ZGlobal’s team of experts is reviewing extensive amounts of data, video, and phone logs to assemble a timeline of events, as well as reviewing equipment maintenance and operations logs to help identify the root cause of the fire, which burned 76,788 acres, including 78 homes and structures.

January 2025: Southwest Hybrid Wind and BAttery Storage Project

ZGlobal is to perform a power flow-based interconnection analysis at the 500 kV substation in Arizona to assess the grid interconnection capacity for energy-only generation projects. The analysis shall include both steady-state and contingency analyses (N-0, N-1, and credible N-2) to assess the grid’s performance against WECC Reliability Standards (TPC_001-5). Detailed analysis will be conducted to evaluate energy delivery to the grid during high load periods (peak) and low load periods (off-peak or spring). Generation levels will be increased in blocks (i.e. 50 MW or 100 MW) until system violations occur. For emergency overloads, mitigations including cost estimates will be provided.

December 2024: SMUD Dry Creek Project

SMUD’s Dry Creek project is located in Placer County near the city of Roseville. This project consists of 344 MW solar and 172 MW/ 688 MWh. ZG was retained to perform several development activities including performing an effective system analysis with WAPA, CAISO, CCSF and MID.

December 2024: CARB Mandatory Reporting Regulation Compliance and Filing

California’s carbon cap-and-trade program is one of the largest multi-sector emissions trading systems globally. It plays a critical role in achieving the state’s ambitious climate goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (which was achieved in 2016), 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. California also aims to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045 and economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2045.

ZG has played a crucial role in supporting Load Serving Entity (LSE) clients in meeting their obligations under the Mandatory Reporting Regulation (MRR) by facilitating the submission of emissions data to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Specifically, ZG assisted with the reporting of emissions data for over 700 GW of electricity imported into California, ensuring compliance with state regulations.

In addition to helping with data submission, ZG actively participated in the CARB Cap-and-Trade auction to address carbon emissions associated with the imported electricity. This included securing carbon allowances for over 3,000 MW of electricity with a compliance obligation, effectively offsetting those emissions as part of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This combination of reporting and active participation in carbon markets is a significant part of ZG’s commitment to helping its clients navigate regulatory requirements and achieve their sustainability goals.

December 2024: ZG Executed Energy Scheduling Agreements for 887 MW Renewable Energy Generators

ZG executed Energy Services Agreements to provide day-ahead and real-time scheduling coordination, settlements and optimization services for five (5) clients totaling 887 MW of renewable energy-generating facilities. The following is a list of these facilities:

55 MW biomass facility located in Yuma, AZ
150 MW solar generating facility located in Harquahala Valley, Arizona
18 MW wind generating facility located in Tehachapi, CA (Kern County, CA)
200 MW solar and a 140MW/600 MWh energy storage facility located in Fresno, CA
200 MW of solar generating facility located in Bakersfield, CA
113 MW solar and a 53MW/212 MWh energy storage facility located in Clark County, Nevada

In 2024, ZG managed a total of over 8,000 MW of generation and load on behalf of our clients across the Western Interconnection and ERCOT.

December 2024: ZG Assisted with Submitting with over 10,000 MW of Interconnection Requests to CAISOs Cluster 15

Following the recent FERC approval of the California ISO’s revised generation interconnection process, which introduces significant reforms including a new scoring system, ZGlobal was retained by multiple project developers representing over 10,000 MW of generating capacity. The new system assigns points across three categories: project viability (up to 35 points), system need (up to 35 points), and commercial interest (up to 30 points). ZGlobal is assisting developers with their first submission under this reformed interconnection process, with a deadline in December 2024.

December 2024: ZG Provides Development Services to the Cedar 2 Solar and Energy Storage Project in IID

After completing all initial development activities, including securing a conditional use permit, executing an interconnection agreement, and finalizing a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), ZG continues to provide post-development services for the Cedar 2 SES, LLC 50 MW solar and energy storage project in Imperial Valley, CA.

ZG’s ongoing pre-construction activities include procuring a transformer, amending the generator interconnection agreement, and coordinating interconnection facility approval with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). Additionally, ZG has secured encroachment permits and easements from IID, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

ZG is also supporting essential pre-construction tasks such as environmental surveys, collector system design, and detailed interconnection design. Construction for the project is scheduled to begin in Q2 2025.

December 2024: ZG Retained as Project Engineer for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWS)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $250 million grant to the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWS), in partnership with Portland General Electric (PGE), to support critical transmission upgrades. This funding, secured through the DOE’s Grid Resilience Innovative Partnerships Program (GRIP), will help enhance the reliability of Oregon’s clean energy infrastructure.

The grant will be used to upgrade the 230 kV Bethel-Round Butte transmission line, a vital link in the region’s transmission network that connects renewable energy resources west of the Cascades—including those on the Warm Springs Reservation—with customers in the Willamette Valley. This upgrade will expand transmission capacity and facilitate the development of new renewable energy projects, support industrial growth, and create clean energy job opportunities. Additionally, it will bring much-needed revenue to historically underserved communities.

The project will significantly improve access to renewable energy resources east of the Cascades, helping meet growing energy demand on both sides of the mountain range. It also strengthens the ongoing collaboration between CTWS and PGE, which have worked together for many years on the Pelton-Round Butte Hydroelectric Project.

ZGlobal Inc. has been retained by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs as the project engineer for this transformative initiative.

November 2024: Congestion Revenue Rights (CRR) Auction and Allocation

Congestion Revenue Rights (CRRs) are financial instruments available through allocation and auction processes, designed to help rights holders manage congestion cost variability based on locational marginal pricing. These rights are primarily used to offset congestion costs in the day-ahead market. ZG has actively participated in CRR auctions on behalf of several Load Serving Entities (LSEs) in California to acquire these rights. For 2024, we successfully secured 2,987 MW during peak hours and 4,830 MW during off-peak hours, helping to mitigate an estimated $22 million in congestion costs.

November 2024: Soda Mountain Solar and Storage Progresses in Development

The Soda Mountain Solar and Storage project includes the following key components:

Solar Plant Site: This includes the solar field with power arrays, operation and maintenance buildings, stormwater infrastructure, and other supporting facilities.
Substation and Switchyard: These are necessary for interconnecting the project to the existing transmission system.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): The project will feature approximately 300 MW of energy storage spread across 18 acres.

The project is designed to operate year-round, generating solar power during daylight hours. It will deliver electricity to the regional electrical grid via an interconnection with the Marketplace-Adelanto 500 kV transmission line, operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).

In advance of the signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 205 on June 30, 2022, the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) powerplant licensing jurisdiction was limited to plants of 50 MW or larger. AB 205, later modified by AB 209, was enacted to accelerate California’s transition to renewable energy and to ensure grid reliability, particularly during extreme climate events. The bill expands the types of facilities eligible for CEC certification under the “Opt-in” certification process, which now includes solar photovoltaic plants of 50 MW or more and energy storage facilities of 200 MWh or greater.

ZG continues to support the permitting and interconnection process with LADWP. For the CEC, ZG has recently provided detailed drawings, exhibits, and responses to various permitting inquiries. These include plans for the gen-tie and loop-in lines, as well as Single Line Diagrams (SLDs) for the switching station and substation. ZG is also preparing to conduct Electromagnetic Field (EMF) studies for the gen-tie and loop-in lines, as requested by the CEC, and is managing all environmental consulting work, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) easement processes, and amendments to the NEPA permit.

November 2024: Vikings Peaker Solar and Energy Storage Reaches COD

After 18 months of construction, the 150 MW AC Vikings Peaker solar and energy storage project has officially reached commercial operation. ZG played a key role in the successful
completion of all development activities, including land acquisition, environmental permitting, securing interconnection agreements, obtaining long-term transmission rights, and finalizing a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with a load-serving entity in CAISO.

During both preconstruction and construction phases, ZG ensured that the project design met all requirements set by the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), Imperial County, and CAISO. Additionally, ZG serves as the project’s scheduling coordinator. This project is the first of its kind to charge its battery using both onsite solar generation and the CAISO grid, while being directly connected to the IID balancing authority—presenting unique challenges that ZG successfully navigated to bring the project to completion.

October 2024: ZG Participated in Stakeholder Process for the CAISO Cluster Reform

ZG participated in the extensive stakeholder process to help revise the CAISO Interconnection Process in alignment with FERC Order 2023. With the recent FERC approval of CAISO’s compliance filing, CAISO has opened the Cluster 15 re-submittal window. ZG is currently assisting clients with a total of 8,740 MW in understanding and adapting to the new interconnection requirements and processes. A key aspect of the reform is the publication of data by CAISO to assist developers in identifying locations with available capacity that align with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).

October 2024: ZG Provides Strategic Guidance for Potential Off-take Agreements and Transmission Service Options

ZG is providing strategic guidance on identifying potential off-take agreements and transmission service options for this client. The project is located in the northwest and seeks to acquire transmission and served loads in the pacific Northwest and California load centers. Our services focused on helping the client navigate the complexities of transmission access to various off-take points across the western U.S., particularly in Utah and Arizona.

October 2024: ZG Assists in Securing an Interconnection Agreement for the Atlas Solar Project, Arizona

This 3,200 MW photovoltaic (PV) and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project is interconnecting to the Delany-Colorado River 500 kV transmission line. ZG played a key role in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) interconnection reform process and the Material Modification Process, which involved updating both CAISO and Desert Community Transmission (DCRT) requirements. ZG successfully secured an executed Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA), and the project is currently under construction.

September 2024: Large Northern California Hydro

Provide backcast analysis utilizing optimization tools to assess CAISO and other bilateral market from energy, capacity and Ancillary service revenue from the large hydro facilities.

The analysis was based on last 4 years of historical CAISO locational market prices (LMPs) and ancillary service marginal prices (ASMPs) while modeling the hydro facilities physical capabilities and water constrained. Compare the historical revenues to the backcast analysis and determined opportunities and strategy, risks and rewards.
ZG also assessed whether varying bid strategies (e.g. – Day Ahead with Real Time, Real Time only, Energy combined with Regulation, etc.) could potentially increase revenue and quantify risks.
Quantify historical congestion cost impact (3-year historical lookback) for the Clients hydro resources. Identify and quantify benefits of utilizing CRR’s to financially hedge congestion costs.

September 2024: ZG Provides Operation Training Materials to Alameda Municipal Power, CA

Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) is the City of Alameda’s not‐for‐profit electric municipal utility, serving residents and businesses for 132 years. AMP provides power to more than 34,000 customers. ZG was retained to provide structural training to their distribution operations department.

August 2024: ZG Performed a Project Feasibility Study for CA Load Serving Entity

ZG was retained by a California Load Serving Entity (LSE) to review various interconnection study reports and interconnection agreement documents in order to assess the overall viability of a proposed project. ZG provided a ranking or score based on the cost and time required to fully implement the project’s interconnection and participation in CAISO markets. The review aimed to evaluate the following project attributes:

Achieve its desired or required COD
- Are there upgrades or other issues that could cause delays?
- Are there dependent conditionally assigned upgrades?
- Does the project require coordination with an affected system?
- Does the project have an executed LGIA?
- Is there evidence of the project initiating or completing CAISO NRI?
Financial obligations to achieve FCDS status for Resource Adequacy
- Magnitude of required area deliverability network upgrades (ADNUs)?
- Number of projects that contribute to ADNU’s?
Local Area and Interconnection Facilities
- Time to construct required interconnection facilities?
- Time to construct required local deliverability network upgrades?
Out of state projects shall be evaluated to assess the proposed transmission upgrades planned and ability to schedule to CAISO. ZG also opined on project’s PCC1 renewable energy credit (REC) eligibility as well as any issues associated with maximum import capability (MIC) availability.

August 2024: Utility Scale Battery Located in Bay Area

ZG provided interconnection and engineering services for a standalone battery energy storage project rated at 370 MW / 1,406 MWh, connecting to the Cooley Landing – Ravenswood 115 kV transmission line in the San Francisco Bay Area.

July 2024: Development Completion for Cedar 1 Solar and Storage

Following the completion of all development activities and the securing of necessary permits and interconnection agreements, ZG completed pre-construction activities for the Cedar 1 SES, LLC 100 MW solar-plus-storage project in Imperial Valley, CA. These activities included obtaining a project generator interconnection agreement, a long-term firm transmission contract, a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA), coordinating interconnection facility approvals with the Bureau of Reclamation, and securing construction access from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Department of Homeland Security. Construction for this project is scheduled to begin in Q2 2025.

Northeast California: ZG developed and submitted an interconnection request for the addition of a 20 MW PV system and a 20 MW (80 MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to the LMUD system, located adjacent to the proposed Skedaddle Substation. This project is unique in that it is planned to be connected to a new substation that will link the LMUD system to the NVE system.

June 2024: Interconnection Analysis in the Pacific Northwest

ZG provided engineering, interconnection, and modeling services for over 750 MW of renewable energy projects connecting to the Bonanza 230 kV and 500 kV substations in the Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA) southwest region. ZG also supported the interconnection of these projects to the Big Eddy 500 kV and 230 kV systems. The services included analyzing available transmission options to deliver energy to load centers in the Pacific Northwest and California.

June 2024: Data Center Feasibility and Fatal Flaw Analysis

ZG was engaged to perform an energy and interconnection feasibility analysis for several potential data center locations within the PG&E and SMUD service areas in central California. The scope included identifying key facilities (lines and substations) that could support the data center load, with transmission connections ranging from 230 kV to 60 kV. The analysis also evaluated energy costs, including self-build options, interconnection costs, and provided detailed assumptions, methodology, evaluation criteria, and results for each proposed site.

May 2024: Engineering and Modeling Services in the Southwest Region

ZG provided engineering and modeling services for over 750 MW of renewable energy projects connecting to the Bonanza 230 kV and 500 kV substations in the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) southwest region. Services included analyzing available transmission options to wheel power to the load center on the 230 kV system.

May 2024: Oregon EV Station Design

ZG was selected by Warm Springs Water and Power in eastern Oregon to provide a high-level design for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. ZG’s scope included analyzing the impact on the grid, evaluating project costs, developing a bill of materials, and performing associated engineering tasks.

May 2024: Microgrid Development in Palm Desert, CA

ZG entered into a Master Professional Services Agreement (MPSA) with Wired Works to develop an 80 MW microgrid system in Palm Desert, CA. The project involves the construction of a new 92 kV high-voltage substation and distribution system. ZG is supporting the environmental approval process with Riverside County, CA, along with interconnection design, cost analysis, and behind-the-meter rate evaluations for the microgrid.

March 2024: California State Guidelines for Wildfire Mitigation Plans

ZGlobal was retained to provide assistance to the Office of Energy Infrastructure to refine and improve the Wildfire Mitigation Maturity Model and associated Survey. These documents are used to gauge the electric corporations (i.e. utility transmission and distribution companies) maturity and improvements related to wildfire prevention and mitigations. The survey covers many aspects of readiness such as weather/fire forecasting, system monitoring, operating procedures, communications, design, electric operations, public outreach, best practices, lessons learned, etc. The model is a quantitative assessment of the wildfire risk mitigation capabilities and is used to examine how electric corporations propose to continuously improve their plans. ZGlobal’s role in this effort is to provide guidance and refinements to the Maturity Survey and Maturity Model with a focus on system design, operations, maintenance, and protection equipment settings and use.

March 2024: Provide Owner’s Engineering on a 275 MW Co-Located Solar and Energy Storage System in Southern California

ZG was retained to provide owner’s engineering and project development services for three projects located in southern California. The scope of ZG services includes:

Stage 1 – Feasibility

Conduct a comprehensive analysis to identify any fatal flaws that may impede project success.
Evaluate the suitability of the land, conduct environmental screenings, and assess grid interconnectivity options.
Rank potential sites, select appropriate technologies, and estimate production capacity.
Develop an initial layout, estimate production metrics, and project revenues, and evaluate project finance options.

Stage 2 – Pre-Development

Begin the process of acquiring necessary land and right-of-way agreements.
Address zoning requirements, conduct environmental studies, and implement mitigation measures.
Secure conditional use permits.
Develop initial project engineering plans, optimize site layout, determine project size, and analyze costs and benefits.
Design the interconnection, submit applications, conduct system impact and facility studies, and negotiate Transmission Service and Interconnection Agreements along with deliverability analysis.

Stage 3 – Development & Project Engineering

Refine production models based on detailed engineering parameters.
Determine optimal project size and analyze hourly production metrics.
Optimize energy storage, engage in detailed electrical engineering, perform value engineering, and design site plans, substations, and interconnection points.
Prepare 30%, 60%, and 90% detailed engineering design packages.
Facilitate project origination and secure long-term offtake contracts. This included quantifying the value of energy, ancillary services, capacity, and Recs, and preparing a bidding package.
Specify detailed project costs, manage procurement processes, and finalize contracts.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential challenges.
Coordinate with the Client’s EPC contractor.
Obtained Utility approval.

Stage 4 – Project Finance Assistance

Working with our clients and vendors, ZG provides an indicative project capital cost and operating costs for the plant as well as the high voltage to ensure the project adheres to the permitting and interconnection agreements.
Develop specifications for major equipment and obtain initial project costs.
Perform initial project finance assumptions analysis and create an associated proforma.

March 2024: Congestion Hedge Strategy Analysis

ZG was retained to design, bid, and participate in the CAISO Congestion Revenue Rights auction for over 300 MW of existing generating resources. ZGlobal’s task is to minimize congestion costs while maximizing the delivery of cost-effective supplies to meet demand. The congestion management process involves the following steps:

Analyzing the inherent risk between supply and demand nodes.
Examining historical data to discern congestion patterns.
Estimating the necessary hedge amount based on the clients’ generation portfolio.
Compiling a list of source-to-sink node pairs that mitigate risk between supply and demand nodes.
Submit price-sensitive bids/offers in CAISO’s annual and monthly CRR auctions to hedge congestion risk relative to SP15.
The selection of these sources is based on statistical and empirical analyses of historical data, encompassing price, revenue, and congestion patterns on the grid.
The chosen sources are highly correlated with the supply nodes and have a proven track record of generating congestion revenue based on historical data.
Provide the Client with CRR bids/offers prior to submitting them in the CRR auction for Client review and approval.
Analyze CRR auction results and verify settlement statements associated with CRRs.
Pay and receive CAISO CRR funds on the Client’s behalf.

March 2024: Deliverability Analysis

ZG was retained to perform deliverability, net qualifying capacity (NQC), and resource adequacy assessments for an existing 550 MW hydro resource based on the completion of major transmission upgrades. PG&E completed the South of Palermo 115 kV Power Line Reinforcement Project to reinforce the existing 115 kV overhead electric power line system between Palermo, Pease, Bogue, and Rio Oso Substations near the City of Oroville and through a small portion of Marysville in Butte, Yuba, and Sutter Counties in northern California. The proposed project would replace the existing conductor and modify/replace existing lattice steel towers along approximately 59.5 miles of PG&E’s existing Palermo –Rio Oso 115 kV transmission system. Proposed modifications to existing facilities would take place within PG&E’s existing utility corridor.

February 2024: Power System Modeling

ZG was retained by Atlas Solar, LLC to perform several modeling activities prior to signing an Interconnection Agreement with CAISO. The scope of work contains the following design elements:

Updated Single Line Diagrams to include all major equipment between the DC side of the inverter and the Cielo Azul switching station.
Design of the medium voltage transformer.
Update and test GE-PSLF models.
Design of the main GSU 525kV/69kV/39kV.
Inverters specifications.

The modeling activities encompass 1,125 MW of PV which is AC coupled with 1125 MW of BESS with a 4-hour duration.

February 2024: Cogen Facility, Yuma, AZ

ZG was selected by Yuma Cogeneration to manage the 24×7 real-time operations of the Yuma Cogeneration facility. The facility began its operation in 1994, with a generating capacity of 63 MW. ZG will begin providing Day-Ahead and Real-Time scheduling services to move the electricity from the facility to California markets.

February 2024: Hydro Pump Storage Engineering and Economic Analysis

ZG was retained to provide hydro pump storage engineering and economic analysis for the Pushmataha County Pumped Storage Project which would include four turbines/generators each with an estimated rated capacity of 300 MW for a total installed capacity of 1,200 MW. The project will use a variable speed pumped hydro configuration which will have an overall cycle efficiency for pumping and generating of approximately 80% and a power factor of 0.9. The project is in Southeast Oklahoma.

January 2024: Vikings Peaker – Scheduling Coordinator and 24×7 Operation Services

ZG has signed an Energy Services Agreement with Averon Energy, one of the largest renewable asset managers in the United States, to provide Day-Ahead and Real-Time Scheduling Coordinator services, CAISO settlements and FERC reporting services, and 24×7 operations, and performance monitoring services for Vikings Peaker, a hybrid 150 MW ac solar and 600 MWh of battery energy storage project. ZG has been working on this project since its inception in 2020 and has completed all development activities on time including permitting, Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) negotiation, deliverability, interconnection and transmission service agreements, pre-engineering, and pre-construction activities.

Vikings Peaker is set to reach commercial operations in two Phases. Phase 1 of the Project, consisting of 600 MWh of Tesla batteries, is currently under testing and commissioning and is expected to achieve COD in April 2024, followed by Phase 2, the 150 MW ac solar, later in 2024.

January 2024: Awarded 3-year Contract with SMUD

ZGlobal was the successful bidder to SMUD RFP for interconnection engineering services and executed a 3-year contract. ZGlobal was the incumbent bidder and was once again selected to provide SMIUD with various services related to generation project development, engineering studies, economic evaluations, etc. To date, ZG has supported SMUD’s development efforts related to the Country Acres 1 and 2 PV/BESS projects, Twin Cities PV/BESS project, Rancho Seco BESS, and the Solano Wind Farm.

December 2023: El Centro BESS 8th Anniversary

The El Centro Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) reached its 8th anniversary of being in service with an excellent operating record on the power grid. In 2015, ZG performed design, engineering, testing, and integration for the BESS interconnected to the IID 92kV transmission system. ZG provided owners with engineering services and assisted IID with the integration of the BESS into its energy management system (EMS). ZG also managed General Electric and Samsung as the equipment providers and project integrators. Once the project reached commercial operation, ZG performed daily O&M services on the new system. The BESS went online in October 2016, it was one of the first battery systems interconnected to the California grid. The project was delivered on time and budget.

IID’s BESS is located adjacent to the El Centro Generating Station within the City of El Centro, California. The BESS is designed as a high-power, low-energy resource with a rating of 20 MWh/33MVA. The BESS consists of the following components:

30 separate battery banks made up of 16 strings of battery modules and components, containing 5,760 Samsung lithium-ion battery trays, associated battery management system controls, and monitoring equipment. The equipment is interconnected through a Modbus communication network.
30 GE Brilliance inverters rated at 1.25 MVA, up to 45 degrees centigrade, and 1.1 MVA, up to 55 degrees centigrade. The inverters had a rated power factor of +/-0.93. The inverters convert 480 volts AC to 600-800 volts DC when the batteries are charging from IID’s grid and 600-800 volts DC to 480 volts AC when the batteries are discharging energy into IID’s grid.
30 GE Prolec1.25 MVA isolation transformers that transform 480 volts AC to 34,500 volts.
AC GE Mark VI controllers are designed to receive communication from and send communication to IID’s EMS and GE’s SCADA system, translate, and send/receive corresponding commands to and feedback from the Samsung battery management system.
Eight Trane 30-ton heat pumps and four Trane 25-ton air conditioning units with associated controls and dampers designed to maintain BESS building temperature, humidity, and pressure within operating limits.
Four-zone fire suppression system designed by Schmidt utilizing 3-M’s NOVEC fire suppression agent, early warning VESDA Laser Plus smoke detectors, and secondary Kidde photoelectric smoke detectors.
38.2 MVA, 34.5kV/92kV, Virginia Transformer was used to interconnect the BESS to IID’s 92 kV El Centro Switching Station. 34.5 kV on the BESS side and 92 kV on the IID grid side
BESS temperature-controlled building that stores the Samsung lithium-ion batteries while the inverters and transformers reside outside the BESS building on housekeeping support pads.

November 2023: Scheduling Coordinator. 24×7 Operation and Optimizing Services for Ocotillo Wells Solar

ZG executed an Energy Services Agreement to provide day-ahead and real-time scheduling coordinator and optimization services for the 50 MWac solar and 200 MWh energy storage Project located in San Diego County. ZG was selected to provide real-time scheduling, Settlements, Optimization, and 24×7 operation services. The project reached commercial operations in November 2023.

October 2023: Interconnection Services

The ZG engineering team continues to provide support to multiple clients across several transmission systems including IID, NVE, SMUD, CAISO, LADWP, PG&E, SCE, WAPA, and LMUD. Additionally, as projects are moving towards their implementation phases, ZG also supports our interconnection clients with material modification requests as final interconnection equipment is selected.

October 2023: Pacific Transmission Expansion Project (PTEP)

ZG submitted the PTEP project on behalf of Shell for the 4^th year into the CAISO Transmission Planning Process Open Window. The submission included refreshed project economics and responses to TPP reliability issues. The PTEP has an estimated cost of $1.85 billion and the benefit-to-cost ratio ranges from 1.16 to 1.9.

October 2023: Path 42 Transmission rating study approval

WECC Path 42 upgrade includes the two 230 kV transmission lines interconnecting the IID and SCE systems has been finalized. ZG was retained to perform the supporting studies to increase the rating of WECC Path 42 from 750 MW to 1200 MW. ZG completed the rating studies and submitted them to the WECC Project Review Group (PRG), which includes representatives from the CAISO, SCE, Transco Energy, IID, AZ G&T Coop, and MWD. Additional studies with alternate base cases and sensitivities relating to Path 46, Path 49, Path 59, and the Blythe RAS were performed and submitted to WECC PRG. On October 2023, the PRG approved the rating increase, and the recommendation will be forwarded to WECC staff, the Reliability Assessment Committee (RAC), the WECC Studies Subcommittee (StS), and the RC West to solicit comments and obtain final rating approval.

October 2023 S Line Upgrade

ZG was awarded a contract to perform design, engineering permitting, and detail design to the 20-mile 230kV line. ZG has completed the task and construction is 90 percent completed with Commercial Operation in December 2023. https://youtu.be/8JRksGkndWM.

October 2023: Vega Projects

ZG completed the development of Vega 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 five projects totaling 450 MWac, plus x 4 hrs. energy storage systems. ZG completed the interconnection and the permitting for these hybrid solar and energy storage projects located in Imperial County, California.

July 2023: City of Cerritos

ZG executed an Energy Service Agreement to provide scheduling coordination services beginning August 1^st. The City of Cerritos is a suburb within Los Angeles County with a population of 49,630 residents with an estimated peak load of 75MW.

June 2023: Northwest Power Pool (NWPP)

ZG is working with NWPP to conduct a study to quantify the benefits of Southwest Utilities, who are members of the Southwest Reserve Sharing Group, in joining NWPP. NWPP was organized in 1941 to provide professional and management services to its participating organizations such as Bonneville, Alberta ISO, BC Hydro, Portland Electric, PacifiCorp, WAPA, Puget Sound, and other public utilities.

June 2023: San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (SMUA)

ZG was awarded multiple contracts to perform real-time operation and portfolio management services for the SMUA load servings entity located in Highland, CA.

April 2023: Soda Mountain Solar and Energy Storage

In 2021, ZG was selected to manage this 300 MWac solar with a 1200 MWh energy storage system. The project received a federal permit in 2016 and was placed on hold. ZG has since completed the system impact and facility studies for the interconnection of the project to a LADWP-owned 500 kV line. The project is located near the City of Barstow, CA in San Bernardino County. ZG is also working with investors and CDFW to certify the federal permit and finalize the interconnection agreement.

March 2023: Donovan Haytem, LLP

ZG provided expert engineering support in identifying a failed neutral grounding resistor located on a ‘behind the meter’ generating facility at the San Manuel Indian Casino and Resort.

March 2023: Greenleaf Power LLC (Greenleaf)

Is a leading renewable biomass energy provider in North America, its headquarters is in Sacramento, CA. Greenleaf owns and operates 135 MW of dependable biomass generation, fueled by sustainable material. Greenleaf Power collects residual biomass material from agricultural, construction, demolition, landfill, and timber industries and converts that biomass into carbon-neutral electricity for sale to municipal, public power, and investor-owned utilities. ZG was retained to assist in determining the feasibility of repowering its biomass facility and adding energy storage at various locations such as the Desert View Power facility located in Coachella, California, and the Blue Diamond facility located in Lassen County, California. The scope ranges from permitting, interconnection, and engineering to economics and Levelized Cost of Energy over the life cycle. http://www.greenleaf-power.com

March 2023 Holtville BESS

ZG was awarded a contract to perform all detail engineering, permitting, interconnection, and procurement for the new Holtville BESS. This standalone battery energy storage system is located within the City of Holtville, California. The Project is a 30 MW, 120 MWh with commercial operation expected December 2023.

March 2023: New Sun Cascade Development

New Sun is an existing ZG scheduling client. New Sun is developing multiple projects (roughly 600 MW of solar and energy storage) in central Oregon. ZG is working with New Sun on the following items.

ZG shall perform an optimal assessment to determine the potential revenue from the solar plus energy storage projects (including capacity additions) over a 10-to-15-year period. ZG utilizes a production cost simulation (PLEXOS) that models battery storage parameters, charge/discharge efficiency, and other operational constraints. The functional objective is to determine each project’s optimal dispatch which maximizes energy deliveries taking into consideration forward market prices and other transmission costs if applicable.
ZG prepared a white paper report with forward projections and drivers of potential market revenues for the forward period. ZG will evaluate potential revenue for each project and location based on historical pricing and forward price outlooks (up to 10 years) for energy. Historical pricing will provide a benchmark given the relevant historical market and operating conditions. Results will include a quantitative and qualitative discussion about the drivers for the revenue as well as how future policies or differing operating conditions may impact those revenues and include quantitative analysis and discussion of optimal dispatch results.

February 2023: MWD

ZG concluded an RFP process on behalf of MWD for the sale of 200 MWh/year on RECS for 10 years for nine (9) small hydro plants (Foothill Feeder, San Dimas, Lake Mathews, Yorba Linda, Diamond Valley, Red Mountain, Venice, Corona, and Temescal).

January 2023: Crayhill Capital Management (Crayhill)

Crayhill is an asset-based private credit manager founded in 2015 and based in New York City. Crayhill is in the process of acquiring the Titan II Project, a 45 MWdc solar project coupled with a 30 MWac/120 MWh energy storage system. The Titan II Project will connect to IID’s 92 kV “R” line. The 43-mile “R” line is a network upgrade required to support the interconnection of the Titan II Project. ZG is working on amending the existing environmental permit. The Titan II generator interconnection agreement was executed and approved by the IID board. ZG provides all engineering, permitting, and project management services for the R-line upgrade.

January 2023: Jacobs Engineering (Sites Reservoir)

ZG continues to support the Sites Reservoir project with economic, interconnection, and market-related support. This will be an ongoing effort for multiple years.

December 2022: Clean Power Alliance of Southern CA

ZG began providing services to the largest CCA in California, to review energy storage PPAs for determining how to calculate availability compared to what is available from the battery equipment data stream.

December 2022: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD)

Metropolitan is a public agency and a regional water wholesaler. MWD consists of 26 member agencies that purchase some or all their water from MWD. These member agencies and their sub-agencies provide water for 19 million residences in six Southern California counties. ZG has scheduled for MWD its hydro and pump resources. Recently MWD augmented its contract with ZG to provide the following:

A description of the current and expected Resource Adequacy (RA) landscape over the next five years (2022 through 2026)
A forecast of system and local RA prices over the next five years (2022 through 2026). ZG considered current and expected changes to the CPUC RA construct, current and expected changes through the CAISO stakeholder processes, and tariff modifications. The comprehensive RA valuation included the following considerations:
1. Impact of moving interruptible load (RA credits) to a supply-side resource
2. Bi-lateral RA arrangements
3. Provides a forecast of REC prices over the next five years (2022 through 2026)
4. Provides a description of the renewable energy landscape in relation to participating market sellers and buyers:
A valuation of the following types of contract options for one-calendar year (2022), three-calendar years (2022 through 2024), and five-calendar years (2022 through 2026) periods:
1. Full bundled product: energy, RA, and RECs
2. Partial bundled product: energy and RECs (Category 1)
3. Standalone product: RECs (Category 3)
Develop recommendations as to the best strategies used to market the HEPs to maximize their value to clients.

December 2022: Pioneer Community Choice Aggregator

Extended its service area to include El Dorado County. Pioneer CCA now includes Placer and El Dorado Counties which double its size. ZG continues to perform scheduling services. Pioneer served eight jurisdictions through 2022, including the cities and towns of Auburn, Colfax, Loomis, Lincoln, Placerville, and Rocklin and the unincorporated areas of El Dorado and Placer Counties. Pioneer expects the summer peak load to be about 600 MW. ZG continues to provide Pioneer CCA with real-time operation scheduling, settlement, and portfolio management.

October 2022 West of Devers Upgrade

The West of Devers upgrade increases the transmission capacity west of the Devers substation, allowing generation from IID and Arizona to be deliverable into California. The project started construction in 2018. ZG provided a comprehensive economic and reliability analysis to the CPUC. The analysis focused on the cost to benefits from the ratepayer perspective and evaluated other alternatives. The project is completed.

September 2022: Marin Clean Energy (MCE)

Is a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), load-serving entity with a 1,000 MW peak load. MCE provides electricity service to more than 480,000 customer accounts and more than one million residents and businesses. MCE serves 34 member communities across four (4) Bay Area counties including Contra Costa, Napa, Marin, and Solano. ZG provided MCE with operational services for several years and recently expanded our services to include consultancy. ZG was retained to perform a quantitative and qualitative assessment, using developer data, of curtailment risks arising from economic congestion and over-supply conditions. ZG also developed 20-year forward price curves at each of the projects’ locations, which were used by MCE to assess PPA cost-effectiveness. ZG included qualitative assessments for each of the potential contracts regarding the transmission interconnection and impact on local or system congestion. These analyses provide insight into the driving factors affecting curtailment risks based on a project’s location and effect on future LMPs.

September 2022: Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

ZG continues to provide SMUD with both economic and engineering services for multiple PV/BESS projects across the SMUD service area. These projects include the County Acres (344 MW), Solano 4 Wind (90 MW), Rancho Seco BESS (80 MW/320MWh), and Twin Cities Solar/BESS (450 MW/1800 MWh).

August 2022: 174 Power Global

Is wholly owned by Hanwha Energy Corporation. Since its formation in 2017, 174 Power Global has signed nearly 2 gigawatts (GW) of power purchase agreements and has more than 8 GW of additional projects in the development pipeline. 174 Power’s name was inspired by the 174 petawatts (PW) of power the Earth receives from the sun at any moment. 174 projects include Techren Solar/Storage in El Dorado Valley NV (300 MW), Atlas Solar/Storage to Delany-Colorado River 500 kV (2000 MW), and Boulder Solar in Boulder City, NV, 128 MW Solar/Storage.

August 2022: Diamond Generating Corporation (DGC)

A wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation with 7800 MW of installed generation assets. DGC retained ZG to assist its management team in assessing transmission investment opportunities within the CAISO Balancing Authority (BA). These opportunities are based on California’s decarbonization efforts, including economic electrification plans, current CPUC integrated resource plans, additional generation projections, compliance with SB 100, and RPS requirements.

June 2022

In response to the CPUC procurement mandates, Cal Energy Resources, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, retained ZGlobal Inc. (ZG) to evaluate the potential development of several hundred MW of geothermal generation in Imperial County, California.

June 2022: Santa Paula Energy Storage

The Santa Paula energy storage project is located within the City of Santa Paula, CA. Since its inception in 2018, ZG managed the environmental permitting and generator interconnection processes. ZG also performed the economic analysis in support of the project. esVolta/Powin acquired the Santa Paula Energy Storage project and completed its construction and commissioning. https://www.esvolta.com/santa-paula.

May 2022: Cuyama Solar Curtailment Issue

ZG provided expert engineering and market support for a generator experiencing excessive curtailments due to issues not identified in the CAISO Cluster Study process.

May 2022: Silicon Valley and Monterey CCAs

ZG was selected to provide portfolio management services to energy projects serving Silicon and Monterey CCA loads. ZG initiated the process to acquire real-time generation PI data. ZG operations developed, trained, and implemented new procedures to manage the first two large solar/energy storage projects. Slate 2 and 3 facilities are owned by Goldman Sachs and Big Beau 1 and 2, are owned by EDF Renewables. This is a significant milestone in strategically enhancing our offerings to manage hybrid resources as the energy sector increasingly moves toward hybrid solar/energy storage resources.

June 24, 2021

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in its ongoing efforts to ensure grid reliability while meeting the state’s clean energy goals, approved a historic decision that instructs utilities to procure 11,500 megawatts (MW) of new resources, enough generation to energize approximately 2.5 million homes. These resources must come online between the years 2023 and 2026. The added resources are to be procured from “preferred resources” which include distributed energy resources such as energy efficiency and demand response programs, renewable energy generation such as geothermal, and zero-emitting sources such as long-duration energy storage. The decision includes the need for additional 230 kV transmission lines and the interconnection of newly planned geothermal facilities.

FebRUARY 12, 2020

ZGlobal Inc. Adds to Energy Portfolio Management Services With Full Deployment of Pioneer Community Energy

September 7, 2017

ZGlobal Inc. Adds to Energy Portfolio Management Services With Full Deployment of Silicon Valley Clean Energy

July 25, 2017

ZGlobal Power Engineering & Energy Solutions Donates $250,000 to Imperial Valley Food Bank

April 17, 2017

ZGlobal Inc. Provides 100% Carbon Free Electricity for Twelve Communities in Silicon Valley California

November 1, 2016

ZGlobal Announces Completion of Construction of 33MVA Battery Storage System

October 12, 2016

MCE Selects ZGlobal Inc. to Provide Energy Scheduling and Portfolio Optimization Services