Otter Tail Power Company

Otter Tail Power's off-peak EV rate is the main tool for EV owners who want to cut charging costs. The utility charges electric vehicles overnight on this off-peak rate rather than on a conventional whole-home time-of-use plan. In Minnesota this is the Drive On Electric Vehicle Rate, which the company says costs less than half its standard rate, with energy authorized only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. In North Dakota and South Dakota, Otter Tail's rebate forms list the Deferred Load controlled-service rate, which its rate summaries say may include EV charging, as a qualifying off-peak rate; its tariff names no fixed delivery window, so ask Otter Tail before enrolling. This structure fits owners who can reliably charge overnight and accept control of the charger.

The $500 rebate for a hardwired Level 2 charger is tied directly to enrollment on a qualified off-peak rate: Dual Fuel, Deferred Load, Fixed Time of Delivery, Residential Demand Control, or, in Minnesota only, the EVantage rate. The off-peak rate and the charger rebate are designed to stack, with rebate requests due by March 31 of the year after purchase, and the same charger rebate is described for non-residential (commercial) accounts as well as residential ones. Otter Tail's rebates page also lists a vehicle purchase rebate, up to $3,000 for a new EV, though the US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center does not list it, so confirm with Otter Tail before relying on it. Minnesota customers can also enroll in the EV_antage bill credit, where Otter Tail controls the charger during peak periods in exchange for a monthly credit of $9 for one charger or $13 for multiple chargers.

Otter Tail's rate schedules are filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, so program availability and rate names vary by state line even within one service area. The EV_antage credit and the Drive On rate are filed for Minnesota only.