If I understand this correctly, this is a picture of the western power market showing "next day" purchases as well as "real-time spot prices" (and one other cat

If I understand this correctly, this is a picture of the western power market showing "next day" purchases as well as "real-time spot prices" (and one other category - something about 15 minutes.) Anyway, if a utility has generating capacity then the cost their electricity is what it's always been subject to natural gas prices or other "cost of manufacturing" costs. If a utility has to purchase extra power then they turn to this market and purchase only what they need at these prices. So what's causing the run-up of market electricity in the western US? Possibly demand from the colder parts of the country assuming there are transmission lines over which the electricity can flow. My recollection is that most of the lines run north-south rather than east-west.