Taking advantage of real-time pricing

Widely offered by utilities in the United States and abroad, real-time pricing is a proven method of reducing energy costs for a broad range of commercial and industrial customers. Utilities in turn benefit directly by retaining key customers. Now EPRI is leading efforts to make RTP even more attractive to power suppliers and consumers alike. Linking automated energy management systems in customers' commercial buildings and industrial facilities to hourly price signals from the utility can be beneficial to both parties, as shown in several recent EPRI-sponsored demonstrations. With industry deregulation, as new entities like energy service companies change the way electricity is offered to customers, RTP is likely to become part of the vocabulary of more power providers, service providers, regulators, and end users.