Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) Rate Selection Guide
Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative serving ~43,136 metered accounts across four coastal North Carolina counties, operating since 1940 with NCEMC wholesale power. Members access bills and 13 months of monthly usage through the PowerPay24 portal (NISC SmartHub backend), and 15-minute AMI interval data is technically reachable via the undocumented SmartHub API — but no Green Button, EDI, or formal third-party programs exist.
Market Overview
CCEC is a non-profit, member-owned cooperative (Touchstone Energy affiliate) taking wholesale power from North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC). North Carolina does not mandate data access programs for electric cooperatives; members take bundled service with rates set by the cooperative.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) publishes its rate schedule online and buys wholesale power from North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC). Bills combine a facilities charge (fixed system costs), seasonal energy charges — 9.98¢/kWh in summer (June-October) and 9.01¢/kWh in winter (November-May) — and a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) that trues up actual vs. projected power costs during the year. An opt-in Time-of-Use rate pairs an $11.84/kW on-peak demand charge with a deeply discounted 4.39¢/kWh off-peak energy rate, with off-peak applying all weekend and on eight holidays. See the published Rate Schedule PDF for full class-by-class detail.
Effective: June 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (Commercial) | commercial | Commercial accounts — marinas, restaurants, retail, and hospitality businesses serving the coastal tourism economy. | Facilities charge plus seasonal energy charges and WPCA, mirroring the residential seasonal structure; larger commercial accounts add demand metering. See Rate Schedule PDF for class details. | — |
| Time-of-Use Rate (Opt-In) | commercial | Members who can shift consumption to off-peak periods; requires a TOU meter installation and a 12-month commitment ($20 fee for early exit). | On-peak demand charge of $11.84/kW (on-peak hours apply weekdays only) with off-peak energy at 4.39¢/kWh — less than half the standard rate. Off-peak runs all day Saturday, Sunday, and eight observed holidays. | 4.39¢/kWh off-peak energy+ $11.84/kW on-peak demand |
| Large Power / Demand-Metered Service | industrial | Larger commercial and industrial loads with measured kW demand, including seafood processing and marine industrial facilities. | Facilities charge, per-kW demand charge, and seasonal energy charges plus WPCA. See the Rate Schedule PDF or contact CCEC for current large power figures. | —+ Per-kW demand charge; see Rate Schedule PDF |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Restaurant, Retail, or Hospitality Business
Coastal tourism businesses in Morehead City, Beaufort, Emerald Isle, and Havelock with summer-peaking load.
The seasonal rate design works against summer-peaking tourism businesses — the 9.98¢ summer rate lands exactly when occupancy and cooling load peak. Efficiency investments in HVAC and refrigeration pay back fastest against summer kWh, and the WPCA line deserves monthly attention since it trues up during the year.
- Prioritize cooling efficiency — every summer kWh avoided saves the higher 9.98¢ seasonal rate plus WPCA
- Watch the WPCA line monthly; it adjusts when actual wholesale costs diverge from budget
- Use PowerPay24 daily usage views to spot weekend/overnight baseload waste in seasonal closures
Facility with Shiftable Load
Operations that can run pumping, ice-making, laundry, charging, or refrigeration pulldown overnight and on weekends — common in marine and seafood businesses.
The TOU rate's 4.39¢/kWh off-peak energy is less than half the standard rate, and off-peak covers all weekend plus eight holidays. The catch is the $11.84/kW on-peak demand charge — any load you cannot move off-peak gets billed on its weekday peak, so the rate only wins for genuinely flexible operations.
- Model 12 months of usage against the TOU structure before opting in — CCEC staff will review your history with you
- Remember the 12-month commitment; exiting early costs $20 and no retroactive bill adjustments are made
- Automate load scheduling so on-peak demand stays minimal every weekday, not just on average
Seafood Processing or Marine Industrial
Demand-metered processing, cold storage, and boatyard operations along the Crystal Coast.
Demand-billed accounts should focus on flattening refrigeration and processing peaks — compressor staging and thermal storage (ice banks) directly cut billed kW. Cold storage with thermal mass is also a natural TOU candidate: pull temperatures down off-peak and coast through weekday on-peak windows.
- Stage compressor starts and use floating head pressure controls to cap demand peaks
- Evaluate thermal storage to shift refrigeration load into off-peak windows
- Ask CCEC about the Connect to Save and Shave the Peak programs for incentive-backed load management
Cost Optimization Strategies
CCEC's rate design offers three concrete levers: seasonal awareness (summer kWh cost ~11% more than winter), the opt-in TOU rate for flexible loads, and demand management on demand-metered accounts. The WPCA passes NCEMC wholesale cost swings through during the year, so bill validation should track it monthly alongside the published rate schedule.
Time-of-Use Rate Election
For: Members with flexible or schedulable loads
The opt-in TOU rate prices off-peak energy at 4.39¢/kWh versus the 9.01-9.98¢ standard seasonal rates, with off-peak covering nights, all weekends, and eight holidays. Facilities that can shift most consumption off-peak and keep weekday on-peak demand low (the $11.84/kW demand charge is the tradeoff) can cut energy costs by half on shifted kWh.
Summer Season Efficiency Focus
For: All commercial accounts, especially summer-peaking tourism businesses
Energy costs 9.98¢/kWh June-October versus 9.01¢/kWh November-May, so cooling-season efficiency — HVAC tune-ups, economizers, window film, refrigeration maintenance — returns about 11% more per kWh than the same measure in winter.
Peak Demand Management
For: Demand-metered and TOU accounts
Demand-metered and TOU accounts pay per-kW charges set by monthly peaks ($11.84/kW on-peak under TOU). Compressor staging, soft starters, and load scheduling cap billed demand; CCEC's Shave the Peak and Connect to Save programs add incentive-backed load control.
WPCA Monitoring and Bill Validation
For: All rate classes
The Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment trues up actual versus budgeted NCEMC power costs and can change during the year. Capture the current WPCA each cycle (CCEC publishes annual WPCA updates) and validate bills against the published rate schedule rather than assuming a fixed all-in rate.
Daily Usage Analysis via PowerPay24
For: All commercial members
The PowerPay24 portal shows daily usage with temperature context and 13 months of history, and TOU members see monthly/annual savings-vs-standard comparisons on their bills. Monthly review catches baseload creep, seasonal-closure waste, and verifies whether TOU is still winning.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can C&I members get 15-minute interval data from CCEC?▾
Yes, with caveats. CCEC's AMI meters (deployed since 2014) record 15-minute intervals stored in the NISC SmartHub backend, but the PowerPay24 portal only shows 13 months of monthly usage. 15-minute data is retrievable via the undocumented SmartHub JSON API using account credentials (open-source clients exist), or by special request to CCEC at (252) 247-3107. CSV export has been hourly-only since January 2024.
Does CCEC support Green Button, EDI, or an official API?▾
No. There is no Green Button download or Connect My Data, no ESPI, no EDI trading partner program, and no official public API. NISC has announced intent to release customer-facing APIs in the future, but no timeline is confirmed.
How do third parties access a member's CCEC data?▾
Three routes: (1) Nectar provides API access to CCEC billing and interval data — see docs.nectarclimate.com; (2) submit a formal data request to CCEC with written customer authorization (PDF/CSV via email); or (3) use customer-provided PowerPay24/SmartHub credentials under a data-sharing agreement, optionally with a SmartHub API client for interval data.
How much billing history does the PowerPay24 portal show?▾
A 13-month rolling window of monthly kWh usage with temperature overlays, plus the full current bill. Extended history beyond 13 months may be available on request to customer service. TOU accounts also see monthly and annual savings versus standard rates.
What does Nectar's roadmap support level mean for CCEC?▾
CCEC is on Nectar's roadmap: automated ingestion is planned but not yet productized. Today, Nectar works with member-exported bills, direct CCEC data requests, or customer-authorized SmartHub API pulls for 15-minute interval data while native integration is built out.
Automate Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) Rate Analysis with Nectar
Nectar continuously monitors your Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) rate options and alerts you when a better schedule is available. Save 10-30% on energy costs.
Nectar for Energy & Sustainability Teams
Managing utility costs for commercial or industrial buildings? Nectar offers a free rate analysis — we'll review your current rate schedules and identify where switching tariffs or shifting load can save 10-30%.
Get a Free Rate AnalysisNectar for Energy Brokers & Consultants
Advising clients on rate optimization? Nectar works with energy consultants who need reliable interval data and automated rate comparison tools.
Partner with Us