July 19, 2002—The California Energy Commission has initiated a plan to work with the California Public Utilities Commission and other interested parties to improve the way electricity is measured, priced and used within the state.
A key element of the various proposals under consideration is that customers should have access to meters that show the actual costs of providing electricity. Electricity costs vary considerably from hour to hour, day to day, and season to season.
“Today’s antiquated electricity meters were designed over 100 years ago,” Energy Commissioner Art Rosenfeld noted. “They provide customers with information at the monthly frequency of the pony express. Through this cooperative effort begun today, we can move beyond simple meters to an advanced communication system delivering information at the speed of the Internet.”
The program’s goal is to provide all Californians within the next decade with access to advanced electricity metering systems, rate structures that reflect time-of-use rates, and technologies that allow them to respond to changing prices. An example of responsive technology is a thermostat that receives price information from the utility and can automatically raise air conditioning temperatures during times of high prices.
Under the new plan, the Energy Commission will work closely with the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which recently began similar proceedings. The CPUC regulates private utilities and will focus on rates and meters, while the Energy Commission, which has some influence over municipal utilities, will focus on equipment to be installed inside buildings and controlled by customers.
The text of orders from the both the Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Commission, along with the proceeding schedules, are available on the Energy Commission’s Web site.
