Energy management and conservation through pricing innovation in Wisconsin: a case study

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5442241

In the fall of 1977 and winter of 1978, the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) conducted a survey of state public utility commissions for the purpose of identifying energy management and conservation programs that could serve as potential case studies. The purpose of the case studies is to provide public utility commissions in one state with information on how commissions in other states have handled energy related problems and instituted programs to cope with such problems. On the basis of nine criteria identified by NRRI, five case studies were selected. The appropriate state utility commissions were then contacted and their participation was arranged. Wisconsin was chosen as one of the five case studies because of the activities of the Wisconsin Public Commission in the sphere of electric rate design. Over a period of several years the Wisconsin PSC has been moving toward time-of-day (TOD) pricing for electric service. This has involved increasing the number of customers on TOD pricing, evolving more elaborate methods for resolving TOD problems, and, in general, dealing with TOD issues in an increasingly sophisticated fashion. Although the decisions issued have generally been in the theme of TOD pricing, the intent of this policy has been to make the cost of service to the customer more closely related to the utility's cost of providing that service and, by sending proper signals to customers of all classes, to reduce overall system demand. Most of the activities of the Wisconsin PSC occurred through decisions and orders in specific rate request procedures. The PCS also conducted a generic environmental impact investigation to assess the impacts of changes in rate structure. This case study thus focuses on the major rate case involved and on the environmental process.

• Research Organization: National Regulatory Research Inst., Columbus, OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC01-77RG08683
• OSTI ID: 5442241
• Report Number(s): DOE/RG/08683-T2; ON: DE84005897
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
296000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FEDERAL REGION V
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
POWER
PRICES
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RATE STRUCTURE
TIME-OF-USE PRICING
USA
WISCONSIN