Real-Time CAISO ZP26 Price API (LMP, $/MWh)

· Live now — CAISO

NP15

—

$/MWh · North

SP15

—

$/MWh · South

ZP26

—

$/MWh · Central

Demand

—

MW · system

Solar

—

MW

Wind

—

MW

01 / Quickstart

bash — two requests to live data

# 1 — get a free API key
$ curl -X POST https://vatio.dev/v1/auth/signup \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"email":"[email protected]","password":"·····"}'

# 2 — pull the live ZP26 price
$ curl https://vatio.dev/v1/caiso/lmp/realtime?hub=ZP26 \
    -H "X-API-Key: vt_live_…"

What the ZP26 price API returns

The locational marginal price (LMP) is the wholesale cost of electricity at a specific point on the grid for a single five-minute interval. It bundles the marginal generator's cost with congestion and losses, and it is the number traders, battery operators and large buyers watch most closely.

This endpoint covers the Central California (ZP26) trading hub. California ISO is the most solar-heavy grid in North America, with peak demand roughly 45,000–52,000 MW on hot summer evenings, so its prices move fast — exactly why a low-latency feed matters.

Who uses ZP26 prices

Battery and storage dispatch — charge cheap, discharge into the peak.
Energy trading, hedging and settlement signals.
Demand-response triggers for large electricity consumers.
Retail and wholesale cost forecasting.

Coverage & cadence

Five-minute intervals in $/MWh, history on the paid tiers. Need the other hubs? See the CAISO price API.

· Related endpoints

Start in two requests

Free key, no card. Live data and history on the paid tiers — upgrade when you ship.

Get a free key →View pricing