California utilities prep nation's biggest time-of-use rate roll out

Utility Dive: Many utility tests of time varying rates have led to bill savings and lower peak loads, but California will soon be taking on the biggest test yet by putting over 20 million consumers on time-of-use (TOU) rates.

Properly designed and deployed TOU rates can help customers save money by shifting their use away from high-priced time periods. The rates can help utilities reduce their expenditures by lowering the highest demand they must meet. And TOU rates often move customer use toward periods when low cost renewables are in greater supply on utility systems, which saves costs for customers and utilities.

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