On December 10, 2024, OUC—The Reliable One’s Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the PeakSHIFT proposal, a multiyear plan to modernize our electric service pricing. The initiative focuses on creating equitable cost structures for the future electric grid while maintaining reliability, affordability, sustainability, and resiliency.
To ensure customers understand these opportunities, OUC will spend the next 24 months educating the community about PeakSHIFT. Neighborhood meetings in 2025 and 2026 will offer energy conservation tips and direct access to OUC representatives who can discuss upcoming changes.
Over the next several years, OUC will update how grid costs are allocated through PeakSHIFT’s four component programs:
- SunChoice Solar: Relaunched in October 2024, this optional community solar subscription program offers all customers the benefits of clean, maintenance-free solar power without the expense or complexity of installing rooftop panels.
- TruNet Solar: Starting July 1, 2025, OUC will adjust compensation for new rooftop solar customers. Those with interconnection agreements submitted before this date will maintain their current compensation rate until 2045 under a 20-year grandfathering period. New rooftop solar customers will be credited for excess energy at the applicable community solar farm rate through June 30, 2030, and at the applicable retail fuel rate thereafter.
- DemandLevel Pricing: In 2026, OUC will reduce per-kilowatt electricity price and introduce a tiered monthly fixed charge based on customers’ grid usage. The three tiers—$5, $10, or $15 monthly—will ensure customers demanding more of the grid pay a proportionate share of operating costs. About half of residential customers will see no impact or a bill decrease under this new structure.
- Shift & Save: Launching in 2027, this industry-proven time-of-day pricing plan will designate 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. as “peak hours” and all other hours as “off-peak.” Electricity prices will be slightly reduced during off-peak hours, allowing customers to save by shifting energy use to less expensive periods—such as running household appliances outside of peak times.
These updates will enable customers to better control their bills while maintaining affordable rates and optimizing grid operations to meet the region’s growing energy demands.
PeakSHIFT is revenue-neutral, meaning it is not intended to increase prices overall. About 50% of customers will see no change or a decrease in their bills, even without shifting usage. Roughly 80% of customers will experience no more than a $3 increase or decrease per month, assuming no changes to their habits. Customers who adjust their usage to off-peak hours can achieve greater savings. Those who place higher demands on the grid, particularly during peak periods, may see slight increases.
For more than a century, OUC has refined its pricing structures to adapt to changing demands, address cost inequities, and incorporate new technologies. PeakSHIFT is another step to benefit our customers through modern rate design, underscoring OUC’s commitment to serving its community.
To learn more about PeakSHIFT, visit OUCPeakSHIFT.com.