Transmission lines lead away from the coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant near Delta, Utah, in February. A new law passed by California legislators creates a pathway to establish a regional market for managing the flow of energy throughout the West. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

For years, Western leaders have debated the creation of a regional energy market: a coordinated grid to pool solar power in Arizona, wind in Wyoming, hydro in Washington and battery storage in California.

The shared resources would meet the demands of 11 different states, bolstering utilities’ local power plants with surplus energy from across the region.

With the passage of a landmark new law in California, that market is finally on its way to becoming a reality. Proponents say it has the pot

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