California wants utilities to roll out dynamic pricing, but SMUD and LADWP are pumping the brakes. (NetZero Insider)
SMUD said implementing hourly or sub-hourly pricing would cost $2.4M–$3.7M a year to run—and after two years of hard recruiting, only 700 customers have signed up for its critical peak pricing plan.
LADWP said implementing dynamic rates by the 2026 deadline would create “extreme hardship,” pointing to its lack of advanced meters. For now, it’s leaning on EV managed charging and other programs instead of real-time rates.