# Westerners Don’t Want Their Utilities Tied To California’s Power Market, Poll Shows

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/westerners-dont-want-their-utilities-tied-to-californias-power-market-poll-shows/
- Published: 2026-11-14T15:00:53+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T16:35:29+00:00
- Original publisher: The Daily Caller (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://dailycaller.com/2026/11/14/western-power-market-poll-california-bonneville-power-administration-travis-kavulla-sterling-burnett
- Topics: Elections, Politics

## Key points

- Most surveyed Westerners favour independently governed utilities.
- Bonneville is weighing a choice between electricity markets.
- 84 per cent said they were at least somewhat worried about bills.

## Summary

A poll in five Western US media markets found that most respondents want their local utilities to remain independently governed, as the Bonneville Power Administration considers which day-ahead electricity market to join. The finding matters because the federal agency’s decision could affect how power is traded across the region, including during shortages and periods of high demand.

Causeway Solutions surveyed 2,095 adults for the Western Energy Markets Integrity Council; 72 per cent favoured independent governance, 10 per cent backed coordination with a California-run system and 19 per cent were unsure. Support for independence ranged from 64 per cent around Billings to 81 per cent in the Tri-Cities, Washington. Bonneville proposed joining Markets+, a rival market run by the Southwest Power Pool, in March and expects a draft decision in December; 84 per cent of those surveyed were at least somewhat worried about their electricity bills.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.