Supply, demand and pricing

When developing the time periods for our Time of Use program, we used our system load — the demand patterns of our customers — as a guide to create the on-peak, mid-peak and off-peak periods.

It’s virtually impossible to store large amounts of electricity. It must be produced exactly when people need it. So power producers must build enough power plants to meet demand at all times — both in the middle of the night when power use goes down, and around the breakfast and dinner hours when overall power consumption rises substantially.

Most of the new power plants built today burn fossil fuels, contributing to air pollution. By reducing peak-hour energy use, you can help delay the need for new power plants in the Northwest. When everyone uses power at the same time, such as mornings and evenings, PGE must use additional resources to meet the demand.

By shifting your energy use away from on-peak and mid-peak periods, you’re doing your part to reduce the overall power demand in the region.