This series of essays presents a set of perspectives from thought leaders in rate design, supplemented by examples of how public power utilities are reshaping their rate design strategies to keep up with the changing times and technologies.
Each of these five essays might provoke some thought on what you should consider as you assess your rate design strategies and prepare for a new energy future. The insights and case studies may be valuable to share with your leadership, governance team, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Wherever you are in your rates journey, this compendium is meant to offer you food for thought as you consider options for the future. There is some commonality between the views of these thought leaders. For example, they all agree that some form of time-varying or time-of-use rates is an essential element of rate design. They disagree on other points, such as the appropriateness of increased fixed charges or residential demand charges. The differences of opinion reflect a fundamental reality — there is no one-size-fits-all rate design option for all electric utilities.