Dive Brief:

• MidAmerican Energy Holdings closed on its $5.6 billion merger with NV Energy, the largest utility in Nevada.
• MidAmerican Energy named Paul Caudill as the new president for NV Energy. Caudill will take his position in June when current NV Energy President and CEO Michael Yackira steps down. Caudill is president of MidAmerican Solar and will help NV Energy “explore and invest in greater renewable energy generation options,” Yackira said.

Dive Insight:

Between NV Energy and PacifiCorp, MidAmerican Energy controls much of the grid across several Western states including Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Look for both NV Energy and PacifiCorp to continue adding renewable resources to their systems. They will be joining with the California Independent System Operator to form an energy imbalance market, which will help integrate renewables and could be a first step towards creating a more complex energy market in the West.