With Great Power: Why dynamic rates are gaining momentum
May 28, 2024
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Ahmad Faruqui, a pioneer in time-of-use rates, discusses the momentum behind dynamic pricing for electric utilities. He explains the evolution of rates from the California energy crisis to smart meters, and the importance of transparent rate design. The podcast also previews an upcoming event on rate design.
Dynamic rates gained momentum after the California energy crisis, leading to innovative time-of-use pricing strategies.
Enhanced customer education is crucial for widespread acceptance of dynamic rates in the utility industry.
Deep dives
The California Energy Crisis: Causes and Impacts
Amid soaring electricity prices and manipulated markets, the California energy crisis of 2000 revealed significant issues in the deregulated energy supply. Severe price imbalances led to rolling blackouts, an 800% increase in wholesale energy prices, and a disruptive market. This crisis triggered a market restructuring focusing on new ways to charge customers, leading to the introduction of time-of-use pricing after the crisis.
Challenges in Implementing Time-of-Use Pricing
Despite the potential benefits of time-of-use pricing, customer acceptance proved challenging post-California crisis. Initial pricing pilots faced resistance as customers grappled with understanding and responding to price signals. Even after two decades of studying dynamic rates, customers' reactions remained enigmatic to economists like Ahmad Farouki, emphasizing the need for enhanced customer education and engagement.
Future of Dynamic Rate Structures and Utility Evolution
The utility industry is gradually shifting towards innovative, modern rate structures, driven by factors like the democratization of power generation and changing customer preferences. The adoption of dynamic pricing, time-of-use rates, and other modern structures is seen as essential for utilities to remain viable. With new technologies like DERs shaping the grid's evolution, utilities and states that effectively engage customers and adapt rate designs stand to succeed, reflecting a significant industry transition.
This week, we’re featuring a crossover episode of With Great Power, a show produced by Latitude Studios in partnership with GridX. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Ahmad Faruqui has been researching electricity pricing since the mid 1970’s, when the cost of a kilowatt-hour was flat. But in the 80’s and 90’s, he started working on dynamic pricing – pioneering the concept of time-of-use rates.
The big breakthrough for time-of-use rates came during the fallout from the California energy crisis. Later, thanks to the rollout of smart meters, more power providers started experimenting with dynamic rates.
Now, new technology is making time-of-use rate design more transparent. This week, Ahmad talks with Brad about why dynamic pricing is gaining momentum among electric utilities – and what makes for good rate design.
On June 13th, Latitude Media and GridX will host a Frontier Forum to examine the imperative of good rate design – and the consequences of getting it wrong. Register at the link in the show notes, or go to latitudemdia.com/events. See you there!
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