Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rate Design topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utility advisory board backs optional RG‑3 residential rate aimed at shifting EV charging off peak
Summary
The River Falls Municipal Utility Advisory Board recommended approval of a new optional residential RG‑3 rate designed to encourage EV owners to charge overnight, which staff said could save an average EV driver about $200 a year and reduce the city's peak wholesale costs. The board moved the recommendation forward to the next approval step.
River Falls Utility staff recommended the board forward a resolution to approve an optional residential RG‑3 rate intended to shift residential charging away from the late‑afternoon peak.
Jenna Willie, the Energy Services Manager who presented the proposal, said the utility estimates roughly 150 electric vehicles in River Falls and that the RG‑3 structure would target the 3–7 p.m. peak window. "The average EV driver in River Falls could potentially save about $200 a year compared to our standard rate," Willie said, adding that the rate is optional and customers could revert after a minimum participation year.
Willie described communications and tools the utility would use to help customers assess the plan — including the AMI‑enabled "my account" comparison tool — and said the utility can monitor likely EV charging behavior at the transformer level to measure whether the program shifts load. She also explained that River Falls could join a WPPI group filing with the Public Service Commission to reduce filing costs and accelerate approval.
Kevin (utility director) and other board members discussed implementation details, dark‑sky concerns and measurement metrics. Kevin emphasized the potential system benefit: lowering peak demand can reduce the utility's wholesale power costs and therefore ease the power cost adjustment borne by all customers.
The board moved the resolution and the chair declared the motion passed. The transcript does not record an exact roll‑call tally in the room; the record shows the motion carried and the board advanced the recommendation to the next approval step.
Next steps: staff said they will pursue timing for a possible group filing with WPPI and will return with more detailed cost and implementation information as the filing process is clarified.
