How Rhythm Energy is proving that price transparency and behavioral change can solve the demand crisis

When PJ Popovic, CEO of Rhythm Energy, took the stage at EMC24 in National Harbor, MD, he delivered a message that should concern every energy executive: We’re heading toward unprecedented demand growth, and innovative solutions are needed to navigate it successfully.

The Challenge: Demand Volatility Like Never Before

Data centers are transforming electricity demand patterns. Popovic shared a startling statistic. A single data center can swing demand by up to 500 megawatts in just five seconds. That kind of volatility requires massive generation capacity to support it.

The challenge?  While battery technology continues to improve, deployment at the scale needed remains a significant undertaking. Gas turbine procurement timelines are extending. And the question looming over our industry is whether markets can build and maintain sufficient generation capacity for what’s coming.

Without proper demand management strategies, customers could face unexpected price volatility as data center load growth impacts overall grid demand. This is exactly why Rhythm developed innovative solutions to give customers control over their energy costs.

The Solution: Transparency, Education, and Behavioral Change

Rather than simply warning about the problem, Popovic presented a working solution that’s delivering results today.

Rhythm Energy’s PowerShift plan aligns pricing more closely to wholesale electricity costs. The result? Customers become educated about on-peak and off-peak energy use and make smarter consumption choices. In other words, they are using more power when prices are cheaper and demand is down.

The data proves it works. PowerShift customers who actively manage their energy use during critical peak windows see meaningful reductions in their overall energy costs. Price transparency drives behavioral change, which drives savings.

Rhythm didn’t stop at product design. They launched a mass product marketing campaign in Texas, encouraging consumers to be mindful of when they use electricity. The message is simple but powerful: Your choices matter. Your timing matters.

Texas as the Proving Ground: Why Advanced Infrastructure Enables Innovation

Texas has something that positions it as the ideal market for pioneering dynamic pricing innovations: Advanced hourly pricing infrastructure and real-time data systems that enable true customer awareness and engagement.

This sophisticated infrastructure makes Texas the proving ground for pricing models that other states will eventually adopt as their data systems evolve. Currently, many states still rely on monthly usage data, which limits their ability to implement dynamic pricing effectively.

Popovic also noted that traditional utility rate structures were designed for a different era. As markets evolve, there’s an opportunity to realign incentives around efficiency and conservation, creating new possibilities for innovation that benefit both customers and grid reliability.

The Bigger Picture: Empowerment Over Extraction

What makes Popovic’s approach revolutionary isn’t just the technology or the pricing model. It’s the philosophy behind it.

Traditional energy companies optimize for revenue. Rhythm optimizes for customer lifetime value. Traditional companies see customers as bill-payers. Rhythm sees them as partners in grid management.

This isn’t charity – it’s smart business. Engaged, educated customers who understand their energy consumption become brand advocates. They refer friends. They stay longer. They cost less to serve.

“We’re building a different kind of energy company,” Popovic explained. “One where customer success and company success are aligned, not in tension.”

What This Means for Competitive Energy

Popovic’s keynote raises critical questions for every energy executive:

  • Are we preparing for the demand volatility that data centers and AI will create?
  • Are we building pricing models that empower customers or just extract value?
  • Are we investing in customer education and engagement tools?
  • Are our business models aligned with both customer savings and grid reliability?
  • Can we demonstrate clear value to customers as energy markets transform?

The companies that answer “yes” to these questions will lead the next decade. The ones that don’t will struggle to compete.

What PowerShift Demonstrates

Rhythm Energy’s PowerShift plan proves several important concepts:

  • Transparency works. When customers understand time-of-use pricing, they respond rationally and make better decisions.
  • Behavioral engagement scales. You don’t need every customer to shift behavior perfectly. Evenmodest participation creates meaningful load management.
  • Education creates value. Customers who understand on- and off-peak pricing don’t resent it; they use it as a tool to save money.
  • Technology enables new models. Usage data, along with the right tools and insights, make time-of-use pricing accessible to residential customers, not just large commercial accounts.
  • Customer-first design wins.  When you build products that genuinely serve customer interests, the business results follow.

The Path Forward

Popovic’s keynote underscored the need for transparency, behavioral engagement, and smarter pricing models to manage growing demand in the age of electrification and AI. His message centered on empowering customers to make informed choices, reducing stress on the grid, and reshaping market structures to promote sustainability.

As demand continues to accelerate, the energy companies that thrive will be those that see customers as partners rather than ratepayers, and build products that reflect that philosophy.

Join Us in Houston for More Insights Like This

Popovic’s keynote was one of many game-changing presentations at EMC24. At EMC25 in Houston, we’re bringing together even more thought leaders who are reshaping competitive energy markets.

Be in the room where the future of competitive energy gets discussed, debated, and decided.

Headquartered in Houston, Rhythm has rolled out these plans and programs across Texas. Join us there to learn from innovators like PJ who are building the energy companies of tomorrow.

Watch the full Keynote Speech here.

By: Christina Corcoran, Managing Director, Energy Marketing Conferences