College Station Utilities Rate Selection Guide
College Station Utilities (CSU) is the City of College Station's municipally owned electric, water, and wastewater utility serving roughly 47,000 customers in Brazos County, Texas. CSU uses Landis+Gyr AMI meters and the Origin Utility SmartCity platform, providing strong first-party billing and 15-minute interval data, but does not offer Green Button, EDI, or programmatic third-party access.
College Station Utilities Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small / General Commercial | Commercial | ~8.90¢/kWh blended (verified avg); customer charge + energy charge | Small businesses and general-service accounts |
| Large General / Demand-Metered | Commercial | Customer + energy + demand ($/kW); values not published | Demand-metered mid-to-large commercial sites |
| Industrial / Large Power | Industrial | Customer + energy + demand; possibly primary voltage; not published | Large industrial / institutional loads |
Market Overview
College Station Utilities is a municipally owned, vertically integrated electric utility. Texas SB 7 (1999) opened retail competition for investor-owned utilities, but cities with municipal utilities could opt in or stay out; College Station's City Council elected not to deregulate. As a result there is no retail electric choice in CSU territory, and the City Council sets rates. The average residential bundled rate is about 15.22 cents/kWh.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the College Station Utilities Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
CSU sets bundled electric rates through the City Council; there is no retail supplier choice. CSU does not publish a granular online tariff sheet with per-kWh and demand ($/kW) figures for each commercial class, so the C&I schedules below are structural and should be confirmed against the official Electric Service Guidelines and the City rate ordinance. Verified figures: the average residential bundled rate is ~15.22 cents/kWh and the average commercial rate is ~8.90 cents/kWh (FindEnergy / EnergySage, 2025-2026).
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small / General Commercial Service | commercial | Small commercial and general-service business accounts. | Bundled monthly customer charge plus per-kWh energy charge. Average commercial rate ~8.90 cents/kWh (verified, blended). Confirm exact charge components in the City rate ordinance / Electric Service Guidelines. | — |
| Large General / Demand-Metered Commercial Service | commercial | Larger commercial accounts above the small-commercial threshold, billed with demand metering. | Structure: monthly customer charge + per-kWh energy charge + demand ($/kW) charge. Specific $ values are not published online; confirm against the City rate ordinance and Electric Service Guidelines. | — |
| Industrial / Large Power Service | industrial | Large industrial and institutional loads (e.g., large campuses, manufacturing). | Structure: customer charge + energy charge + demand charge, potentially with primary-voltage service; values not published online. Confirm via the City and CSU electric design (CSUDesign@cstx.gov). | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small business / general commercial
Small storefronts and offices should use the small/general commercial service.
Below the demand-metering threshold, billing is a simple customer charge plus per-kWh energy (~8.90¢ blended average).
- Track monthly kWh through the portal
- Confirm whether usage growth pushes you into demand metering
Mid-to-large demand-metered commercial
Larger commercial sites billed on demand should actively manage peak kW.
Demand charges can dominate the bill; 15-minute CentraVu data enables peak management.
- Pull 15-minute interval data to find peak windows
- Stagger HVAC/equipment startup to flatten peaks
- Confirm exact demand $/kW in the City rate ordinance
Large industrial / institutional load
Large campuses and industrial loads should engage CSU electric design and confirm the large-power class.
Service may be at primary voltage with distinct demand and energy components; values are not published online.
- Contact CSU electric design (CSUDesign@cstx.gov)
- Request the full rate ordinance and any primary-voltage options in writing
- Use interval data for load-factor and demand analysis
Historical Rate Trends
CSU rates are adjusted by City Council ordinance. The utility purchases all of its energy wholesale (it owns no generation) and has historically applied seasonal rate differentials.
October 1, 2024
City Council ended the lower seasonal (November-April) residential electric rate, moving toward a more uniform year-round residential rate.
Seasonal discount removedOverall trend: Average residential bundled rate ~15.22 cents/kWh, slightly below the Texas average; commercial ~8.90 cents/kWh, well below national average. Council periodically revises rates.
Next expected change: Set by City Council ordinance; no fixed public schedule. Council recently ended the lower November-April seasonal residential rate.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because larger CSU commercial and industrial accounts are demand-metered, C&I cost management combines kWh reduction with peak-demand management, using the 15-minute CentraVu interval data to find and shave peaks. Customers should also confirm they are on the most favorable demand-metered class.
Use 15-minute interval data for peak shaving
For: Demand-metered commercial and industrial accounts
Pull CentraVu 15-minute data to identify peak demand intervals and shift or curtail loads to lower the billed kW.
Confirm correct rate class
For: Mid-size commercial accounts near the demand-metering threshold
Verify whether the account is on small-commercial vs. demand-metered large general service; the right class depends on load size and load factor.
Evaluate on-site solar / DG
For: Facilities with suitable roof/land and load profiles
Use CSU's interconnection program to offset energy and potentially peak demand with on-site generation.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download College Station Utilities interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an energy manager get programmatic (API) access to CSU interval data?▾
No. CSU offers no public API, Green Button Connect, or aggregator program. A C&I customer must use the CentraVu portal directly or designate an authorized representative via the manual authorization form, then extract data by hand.
What interval granularity is available for a commercial account?▾
Landis+Gyr AMI supports 15-minute, hourly, and daily intervals, all viewable in the CentraVu portal. Standardized CSV/XML export is not formally offered and may require print-to-PDF.
How does a third party get authorized on a commercial account?▾
The account holder completes the Utility Account Authorization Form and submits it by email, fax, mail, or in person. After CSU activates it, the representative logs into the portal to view bills, payment history, and usage.
Does CSU support EDI for commercial customers?▾
No. CSU is a municipal utility that elected not to enter Texas retail competition, so there are no competitive suppliers and no EDI trading-partner program.
Why can't a C&I customer shop for a competitive electricity supplier in College Station?▾
Although Texas SB 7 (1999) deregulated investor-owned utilities, College Station's City Council chose not to opt into competition. CSU remains a vertically integrated municipal provider, so all customers buy bundled service from CSU.
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