NEWS: The new Extended Day-Ahead Market is already boosting grid efficiency—here’s how.

That was quick: In May, PacifiCorp and CAISO launched EDAM (which builds off the real-time Western Energy Imbalance Market). Two months in, EDAM is helping PacifiCorp improve resource planning.

The key to success? Continuous seven-day planning, Mike Wilding, PacifiCorp’s VP of Energy Supply Management, told Energy Central. It’s especially critical during holiday weekends and extreme weather events. “The grid can take a lot if it’s planned for accordingly, or if you know what the conditions are,” he said.

The outlook: In the long run, Wilding thinks improved forecasts and ramped-up regional coordination can 1) lower customer costs 2) keep the grid stable during extreme weather and 3) enable more efficient use of renewables. In fact, the market could save Western states up to $1.2B a year.