Blue Ridge Mountain EMC Rate Selection Guide
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC (BRMEMC) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 59,000 members across the north Georgia and western North Carolina mountains. As a smaller TVA-supplied cooperative, BRMEMC offers a self-service member dashboard for monthly billing and daily usage data, but no Green Button, EDI, or public API programs.
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSA-1 | Small Commercial | $28.34/mo + $0.13779/kWh | Small businesses under 50 kW demand |
| GSA-2 | Medium/Large Commercial | $75.00/mo + tiered energy + $21.22/kW demand | Commercial loads 51-1,000 kW |
| Large Power | Industrial | $250.00/mo + $0.07581/kWh + tiered demand | Large industrial loads above 1,000 kW |
Market Overview
BRMEMC is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative and the sole electricity provider in its service territory. Members do not have retail supplier choice. Wholesale power is supplied by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which also governs key rate parameters; the Georgia PSC and North Carolina Utilities Commission provide additional oversight.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Blue Ridge Mountain EMC Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
BRMEMC's rates are set by the cooperative based on TVA wholesale costs and reviewed periodically. The figures below are from the official BRMEMC Electric Rate Sheet effective with January 1, 2026 meter readings. A 7% tax applies (varies by location), plus a hydro credit on the residential schedule.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSA-1 Small Commercial (under 50 kW) | commercial | Small commercial/industrial accounts under 50 kW (up to 15,000 kWh; above 15,000 kWh moves to GSA-2). | Customer charge $28.34/month; energy $0.13779/kWh up to 15,000 kWh; 7% tax (effective January 1, 2026). | — |
| GSA-2 Medium/Large Commercial (51-1,000 kW) | commercial | Commercial/industrial accounts with demand of 51 to 1,000 kW. | Customer charge $75.00/month; energy $0.14812/kWh first 15,000 kWh then $0.07682/kWh; demand $21.22/kW (51-1,000 kW); 7% tax (effective January 1, 2026). | — |
| Large Industrial / Large Power | industrial | Large industrial accounts (above ~1,000 kW demand). | Customer charge $250.00/month; energy $0.07581/kWh; tiered demand $22.09/kW (0-1,000 kW), $21.92/kW (next 1,500 kW), $22.39/kW (over 2,500 kW); 7% tax (effective January 1, 2026). | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small business / retail storefront
Small commercial members under 50 kW on GSA-1 should focus on energy efficiency since there is no demand charge at this level.
GSA-1 has no demand charge; the $0.13779/kWh energy rate is the main driver, so kWh reduction is the lever.
- Track monthly kWh in the dashboard
- Watch the 15,000 kWh threshold that triggers GSA-2
- Pursue lighting/HVAC efficiency upgrades
Mid-size commercial facility (51-1,000 kW)
GSA-2 accounts should prioritize peak demand management given the $21.22/kW demand charge.
Demand charges of $21.22/kW often exceed energy costs; shaving peak kW directly reduces the bill.
- Use the dashboard's commercial demand (kW) view
- Stagger HVAC and large equipment startups
- Consider load scheduling to flatten peaks
Large industrial plant (above 1,000 kW)
Large Power accounts benefit most from combined demand management and power factor correction across the tiered demand structure.
Tiered demand charges of $22.09-$22.39/kW make peak control and high power factor critical.
- Implement automated demand response or load curtailment
- Maintain power factor above 0.95
- Coordinate maintenance to avoid coincident peaks
Historical Rate Trends
BRMEMC adjusts rates periodically to track TVA wholesale power costs. A documented rate adjustment took effect October 1, 2023 (raising GSA-1 customer charge and GSA-2 energy margin), and the current published rates are effective with January 1, 2026 meter readings.
October 1, 2023
Rate adjustment: GSA-1 customer charge raised by $2.70/month (from $23.64 to $26.34); GSA-2 energy margin raised 0.314 cents/kWh.
variesJanuary 1, 2026
Current published Electric Rate Sheet effective with January 1, 2026 meter readings (GSA-1 $28.34 customer charge + $0.13779/kWh; GSA-2 $75.00 + $21.22/kW demand).
variesOverall trend: Gradual increases tracking TVA wholesale power costs.
Next expected change: Adjustments are reviewed periodically; check the BRMEMC rate adjustment page for the latest notice.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because demand charges of roughly $21-$22/kW dominate larger BRMEMC C&I bills, the highest-impact savings come from managing peak demand and right-sizing rate class. Energy tiers reward higher volume, so load and rate-class analysis matters.
Peak demand management
For: GSA-2 and Large Power accounts
Stagger equipment startups and shed non-critical load during peak intervals to lower the monthly maximum kW that sets the demand charge.
Rate-class verification
For: All C&I accounts
Confirm the account is on the correct schedule; accounts near the 50 kW or 1,000 kW thresholds can be on a suboptimal schedule. GSA-1 accounts exceeding 15,000 kWh automatically move to GSA-2.
Power factor correction
For: Demand-metered C&I accounts
Maintain a high power factor to avoid demand penalties and reduce billed kW on demand-metered schedules.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Blue Ridge Mountain EMC interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a commercial energy manager pull our BRMEMC usage data via an API?▾
No. BRMEMC does not offer a developer API, Green Button Connect My Data, or aggregator integration. The only options are to have an authorized account user download data from the member dashboard or to request data from Customer Service at (706) 379-3121 with written authorization.
What interval granularity is available for C&I accounts?▾
Daily kWh usage and, for commercial accounts, maximum monthly demand (kW). Sub-daily 15-minute or hourly interval data is not collected or made available.
Which rate schedule applies to a commercial account over 50 kW?▾
GSA-2 applies to commercial and industrial accounts with maximum demand over 50 kW (up to 1,000 kW). It carries a $75.00 customer charge, tiered energy rates, and a demand charge of $21.22/kW (effective January 1, 2026). Very large loads fall under the large industrial schedule with higher demand tiers.
Does BRMEMC support EDI for invoicing or meter data?▾
No. BRMEMC has no documented EDI trading partner program (no 810, 814, 820, or 867 transactions). Large members with integration needs should contact the cooperative to discuss a custom arrangement.
How far back does usage history go?▾
The dashboard shows at least 24 months of monthly statement history and 30+ days of daily usage data. Older records can be requested from Customer Service.
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