Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

Virginia solar group participants warm to time-of-use rates

Southeast Energy News: A series of meetings between utilities and solar advocates in Virginia seeking a compromise on net metering may have identified some common ground.

While Dominion Energy and rural cooperatives have been at loggerheads with solar advocates over net metering – crediting solar users with electricity their systems push on to the grid – pricing electricity by the time of day could help foster a settlement.

Time-of-use rates charge more for power used during peak times —typically weekday afternoons — when it is most costly for utilities to generate and transmit power. Dominion already deploys TOU rates for certain commercial and industrial customers, and offers a pilot program for residential customers with electric cars.

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