The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is unique as a public power entity because it provides the option of supplying new energy loads from specific network resources interconnected to and utilizing its transmission system. Under Network Integration Transmission Service (NITS), IID allows new loads—those not considered “native loads”—to source their energy from designated network resources utilizing IID’s transmission system. IID’s rate base does not include energy procurement, which occurs via bilateral power purchase agreements or market purchases. Transmission and reliability charges for these new loads are rate-based, mirroring the treatment for native load. Essentially, IID acts as the utility responsible for providing transmission, distribution, and reliability services by operating the network, managing the NITS, and ensuring compliance with all North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards for every network customer.
NITS is a firm service that facilitates the delivery of electric power from designated resources to designated loads. Unlike point-to-point service, which handles fixed source-to-sink transactions, NITS is specifically designed for integrated operations across a Network Customer’s multiple resources and loads. A key feature of NITS is its ability to allow the Network Customer to integrate, economically dispatch, and regulate its own network generators (or those under contract) to serve its Network Load using the Transmission Provider’s transmission network. The service can also be used to deliver economic energy from non-designated resources on an as-available basis without additional charge.