Brownsville Public Utilities Board Rate Selection Guide
Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) is the municipally owned electric, water, and wastewater utility serving roughly 54,712 electric accounts in Brownsville, Texas. As a municipal utility outside ERCOT retail competition, BPUB offers first-party billing and usage data through its customer portal, with AMI smart-meter features rolling out and no third-party API, Green Button, or EDI program currently available.
Brownsville Public Utilities Board Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSND | Commercial | Customer charge + energy charge + monthly FPEM (figures in City Code Ch. 102) | Small commercial under 50 kW |
| GSD | Commercial | Customer charge + per-kW demand + energy + FPEM (figures in City Code Ch. 102) | Mid-size commercial 50 kW and above |
| GS-Large Demand | Industrial | Demand-driven minimum bill, 500 kW minimum + FPEM (figures in City Code Ch. 102) | Large industrial loads |
Market Overview
BPUB is a community-owned electric, water, and wastewater utility. It self-generates and purchases power and is not part of ERCOT's competitive retail market, so there is no customer choice of supplier. Electric rates are adopted by the Brownsville City Commission in the City Code of Ordinances, Chapter 102.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Brownsville Public Utilities Board Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
BPUB electric rates are set in the Brownsville City Code of Ordinances (Chapter 102, Article III) and shown on BPUB's Electric Rates page. C&I customers fall into General Service classes by demand. Specific per-kW demand and per-kWh energy figures are published in the ordinance/tariff rather than as open data; a monthly Fuel & Purchased Energy Charge (FPEM/FPEC) is added to all bills and varies with market conditions. Base rates were last reset June 2022 with a multi-year phase-in through 2026.
Effective: June 1, 2022 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service - Non-Demand (GSND) | commercial | Commercial customers whose monthly demand is less than 50 kW. | Monthly customer service charge plus per-kWh energy charge (set in City Code Chapter 102, Article III), plus the monthly Fuel & Purchased Energy Charge (FPEM/FPEC). Specific $ figures are published in the ordinance/tariff. | — |
| General Service - Demand (GSD) | commercial | Commercial customers establishing demand of 50 kW or greater (applied for that month plus a minimum of 11 succeeding billing months). | Customer service charge plus a per-kW demand charge and per-kWh energy charge (set in City Code Chapter 102, Article III), plus the monthly FPEM/FPEC. Specific $ figures are published in the ordinance/tariff. | — |
| General Service - Large Demand | industrial | Large commercial/industrial loads; minimum monthly demand of 500 kW. | Minimum monthly bill equals the customer service charge plus the demand charge plus applicable taxes/surcharges, with a 500 kW minimum monthly demand; per-kW demand and per-kWh energy figures are set in City Code Chapter 102, Article III, plus the monthly FPEM/FPEC. | — |
| Fuel & Purchased Energy Charge (FPEM/FPEC) | commercial | Rider applied to all electric customers, including C&I. | Variable monthly charge recovering fuel, purchased power, and associated marketing costs; varies month to month with market conditions and is added on top of base energy/demand charges. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial facility (under 50 kW)
Retail, offices, and small commercial below the demand threshold.
GSND avoids demand charges entirely; the priority is staying under 50 kW to avoid triggering the demand class and its 11-month ratchet.
- Watch peak kW near 50 kW
- Use AMI data to spot demand spikes
Mid-size commercial (50-500 kW)
Larger commercial buildings and light industrial above 50 kW.
GSD applies at 50 kW+; the demand charge and 11-month ratchet make peak management the top cost lever.
- Flatten the monthly peak
- Avoid one-off spikes that lock in the ratchet
Large industrial load (500 kW+)
Manufacturing and large facilities at or above the 500 kW minimum.
Large Demand carries a 500 kW minimum monthly demand; the minimum bill is demand-driven, so sustained high load factor spreads fixed demand cost over more kWh.
- Maximize load factor
- Model the 500 kW minimum into the bill
C&I customer needing usage data for a program
Facilities working with an ESCO, aggregator, or sustainability vendor.
BPUB has no API or Green Button; plan for manual PDF sharing and use the AMI portal for daily usage as it launches.
- Download PDF bills for the consultant
- Request a case-by-case data arrangement from customer service
Historical Rate Trends
The Brownsville City Commission approved a base electric rate reset on May 3, 2022, lowering the base rate roughly 22% phased over two years (effective June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023) while phasing out the bill-reduction subsidy on the FPEM. Water and wastewater rates step up annually through January 1, 2026.
June 1, 2022
Base electric rate lowered ~22% phased over two years (June 2022 and June 2023); bill-reduction subsidy on the FPEM phased out, making the fuel charge fully market-variable.
-22%January 1, 2026
Scheduled 5% increases to residential water and wastewater rates, plus a $12.50 resaca maintenance fee (water customers).
+5%Overall trend: Lower base electric rate but higher, market-variable FPEM; total bills have risen with fuel costs.
Next expected change: FPEM/FPEC adjusts monthly; water/wastewater increases of 5% are scheduled for January 1, 2026.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For BPUB C&I customers, the two biggest levers are managing demand around the 50 kW and 500 kW class thresholds (and the 11-month demand ratchet) and tracking the variable monthly FPEM/FPEC, which often exceeds the base energy charge in impact.
Manage the demand ratchet
For: GSND / GSD boundary
Once a facility establishes 50 kW it stays on the demand rate for 11 additional months; avoid one-off demand spikes that lock in a higher class.
Peak demand reduction
For: GSD, Large Demand
Stagger large equipment to lower monthly peak kW, directly reducing the demand charge on GSD and Large Demand classes.
Track the monthly FPEM/FPEC
For: All C&I
The fuel rider varies month to month; monitor it to forecast bills and shift discretionary load to lower-cost periods where possible.
Use AMI usage data and efficiency rebates
For: All C&I
As the AMI portal launches, use daily usage to find waste, and apply for BPUB commercial efficiency rebates.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Brownsville Public Utilities Board interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a C&I energy consultant access BPUB data through an API?▾
No. BPUB has no public API, Green Button, or aggregator partnership. Consultants must obtain bill PDFs directly from the customer or arrange a case-by-case data request with customer service.
Which rate class applies to a commercial or industrial facility?▾
General Service Non-Demand (GSND) applies below 50 kW; once demand reaches 50 kW or more, General Service Demand applies for that month plus at least 11 succeeding months; General Service - Large Demand applies to large loads with a 500 kW minimum monthly demand.
Does BPUB offer interval (15-minute) data to commercial customers?▾
Not confirmed. AMI meters are deployed, but customer-facing granularity is expected to be daily; 15/30-minute interval access and any third-party feed are not available as of mid-2026.
How is the fuel cost handled on a BPUB commercial bill?▾
BPUB applies a Fuel & Purchased Energy Charge (FPEM/FPEC) that varies monthly with market conditions, shown as a separate line on every electric bill in addition to base energy and demand charges.
Can BPUB customers shop for a competitive electric supplier?▾
No. BPUB is a municipal utility outside ERCOT retail competition, so Brownsville customers cannot choose a retail electric provider; service is bundled through BPUB.
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