Clean Power Alliance Launches Zero-Cost Daytime Electricity Pilot…

Event summary

Clean Power Alliance (CPA) begins a two-year pilot offering 4,000+ Southern California households $0-per-kWh generation rates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The TOU-SMART pilot, in collaboration with UCLA, aims to shift electricity use to daytime hours when solar power is abundant.
Participants receive bill protection to ensure they are not financially disadvantaged by the pilot.
CPA estimates customers could save hundreds of dollars annually by shifting usage to daytime.

The big picture

As California accelerates its renewable energy integration, particularly solar power, time-based electricity rates are becoming critical to aligning consumption with generation. CPA's pilot tests whether strong financial incentives can drive meaningful behavioral changes, offering insights for utilities and policymakers navigating the transition to a renewable-powered grid. The results could inform future rate structures and customer engagement strategies across the energy sector.

What we're watching

Behavioral Shifts: Whether households will sustainably alter their electricity-use patterns in response to daytime price incentives.
Policy Influence: How the pilot's findings will shape California's broader policy conversation on daytime electricity rates.
Program Scalability: The pace at which CPA can expand successful pilot elements into broader customer programs.