Minnesota's first electric rates designed for at-home recharging of plug-in electric vehicles won approval Thursday from state regulators.
Dakota Electric Association, an electric cooperative that serves 101,000 customers in Dakota, Goodhue, Scott and Rice counties, will offer the optional rate plan on a pilot basis, and expects about 10 electric car owners to try it initially.
Other utilities and the state Public Utilities Commission, which approved the rates, are expected to closely watch the experiment. While some utilities offer lower off-peak electric rates, this is the first plan tailored for electric vehicle charging, which can take eight to 10 hours unless the owner installs a special charging station.
Dakota Electric's car-charging rates are low from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. to encourage plugging in when power demand is low. During much of the day, car charging is priced roughly at standard residential rates. To discourage charging during times of peak electric demand, the price is more than three time the standard rate from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays.
The rates require a separate meter to track charging costs.
David Shaffer • 612-673-7090
