Speaking at the annual meeting of the California Municipal Rates Group, Jim Lazar examines the role of smart rate design and the integration of renewables as essential elements in the transformation of the power sector in the United States. Drawing from seminal publications Teaching the Duck to Fly and Smart Rate Design for a Smart Future, he highlights strategies for aligning loads and resources to accelerate the penetration of variable renewable energy from sources like wind and solar, and encourages regulators to leverage today’s smart grid technology by designing rates that reflect costs that vary over time and encourage energy efficiency.