[airhead969]

I think it depends on how much it costs and the environmental impact of energy generation and transmission. There's a continuum between austerity taxing a resource for insane frugality, moderate pricing, and giving it away that has to be deliberately comsidered.

[Robotbeat]

Moderate pricing is the right move. But a lot of folks are missing my main point here: The more people and businesses are on fixed rates, the more inelastic demand is and therefore the more extreme the pricing swings are for those who are on moderate real-time pricing plans. We need to make real-time pricing as broad as possible so the price extremes are much smaller. and make it more feasible for small players (including middle class individuals) to contribute directly to supply.

[airhead969]

Energy consumption for home use during a blizzard is very inelastic. Energy consumption for empty hotels and office buildings should be very elastic rather than sitting idle, lights on, and HVAC blasting. Nonessential businesses that consume large quantities of electricity should be cut first before residential areas.