Recently, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) asked the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to open an official proceeding to look into time-varying rates. Right now, when you pay for electricity, it doesn’t matter when you use any particular kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity; the cost is the same. But the costs of generating and delivering that electricity to you do vary throughout the day and year. If we implement a new rate structure in which the price per kWh depends on when it is used, we can encourage use off-peak (when prices and emissions are lower) and discourage use on-peak (when prices and emissions are highest). That results in a less expensive and less polluting grid for everyone. Learn:
- why time-varying rates are a climate tool,
- how time-varying rates empower consumers to save on their monthly bills,
- what the DOER has proposed to the DPU, and
- what the process will look like from here.
Chris Connolly, Clean Energy Coordinator at DOER, will join the conversation, and there will be plenty of time for your questions.