Glendale Water & Power Rate Selection Guide
Glendale Water & Power (GWP) is the municipal electric and water utility for the City of Glendale, CA, serving about 91,000 electric customers. Business customers access interval data and Green Button exports through the Opower Business Customer Engagement Portal, with AB 802 whole-building benchmarking available for multi-tenant properties.
Glendale Water & Power Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| L-2-A Small Business Standard | commercial | $1.15/meter/day + $0.3118 (high) / $0.2701 (low) per kWh; no demand charge | Small businesses under 5,000 kWh/month and 20 kW |
| LD-2-A Medium Business Standard | commercial | $1.60/meter/day + $0.1645/$0.1573 per kWh + $1.10/$0.77 per kW/day demand | Mid-size businesses at/above 5,000 kWh or 20 kW |
| PC-1-A Large Business Standard | industrial | $10.00/meter/day + $0.1601/$0.1447 per kWh + $1.35/$1.02 per kW/day demand + reactive | Large facilities above 150 kW |
| PC-1-B Large Business TOU | industrial | $10.00/meter/day + peak $0.3892 (high)/$0.2254 (low) per kWh + $0.93/$0.66 per kW/day demand | Large facilities above 500 kW with shiftable load |
Market Overview
GWP is a publicly owned municipal utility. California municipal utilities are exempt from CPUC rate regulation and retail competition; rates are set by the Glendale City Council. CCA does not apply within GWP's territory.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Glendale Water & Power Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
GWP publishes full commercial electric tariffs online. Charges combine a per-meter-per-day customer charge, an energy charge per kWh, and (for demand-metered classes) a demand charge per kW per day based on the maximum kW over the trailing 12 months, plus reactive power (kVAR) charges on larger classes. Rates are seasonal: High Season is July-October and Low Season is November-June. All dollar figures below are verified from GWP's published rate pages. A 2.95% rate adjustment was scheduled for November 1, 2026 as part of the 2024-2028 phased increases.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-2-A Small Business Standard | commercial | Businesses under 5,000 kWh/month and under 20 kW demand; no demand charge. | Customer charge $1.15/meter/day. Energy: $0.3118/kWh High Season (Jul-Oct), $0.2701/kWh Low Season (Nov-Jun). | — |
| L-2-B Small Business Time-of-Use | commercial | Small business optional TOU; rewards off-peak and weekend usage. | Customer charge $1.15/meter/day. High Season energy: base $0.1996/kWh, peak $0.5985/kWh. Low Season: base $0.1535/kWh, peak $0.4604/kWh. | — |
| LD-2-A Medium Business Standard | commercial | Businesses at or above 5,000 kWh/month or 20 kW demand. | Customer charge $1.60/meter/day. High Season: energy $0.1645/kWh, demand $1.10/kW/day. Low Season: energy $0.1573/kWh, demand $0.77/kW/day. | — |
| LD-2-B Medium Business Time-of-Use | commercial | Medium business TOU option. | Customer charge $1.60/meter/day. High Season: base $0.1424/kWh, peak $0.4192/kWh, demand $0.64/kW/day. Low Season: base $0.1424/kWh, peak $0.2518/kWh, demand $0.53/kW/day. | — |
| PC-1-A Large Business Standard | industrial | Large customers, generally above 150 kW (PC-1-A applies below 500 kW). | Customer charge $10.00/meter/day. High Season: energy $0.1601/kWh, demand $1.35/kW/day, reactive $0.01/kVAR/day. Low Season: energy $0.1447/kWh, demand $1.02/kW/day, reactive $0.01/kVAR/day. | — |
| PC-1-B Large Business Time-of-Use | industrial | Required above 500 kW demand; optional below. | Customer charge $10.00/meter/day. High Season: base $0.1384/kWh, peak $0.3892/kWh, demand $0.93/kW/day, reactive $0.01/kVAR/day. Low Season: base $0.1384/kWh, peak $0.2254/kWh, demand $0.66/kW/day. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small storefront or office
Small businesses under 5,000 kWh/month and 20 kW pay no demand charge on L-2, so the decision is standard vs TOU energy pricing.
With no demand charge, the only lever is energy timing; TOU helps only if most usage is off-peak.
- Stay below 5,000 kWh/20 kW to avoid moving to LD-2
- Consider L-2-B only if usage is concentrated off-peak
- Track usage in the Opower portal
Mid-size commercial facility
LD-2 customers should manage demand because the per-kW/day charge is keyed to a trailing 12-month peak, and evaluate TOU if load is shiftable.
A single high-demand interval can raise the demand charge for 12 months; TOU lowers energy cost for off-peak-heavy loads.
- Use Opower's demand heatmap to find peaks
- Stagger HVAC and large equipment in summer
- Model LD-2-B vs LD-2-A from interval data
Large industrial / high-demand site
PC-1 customers above 500 kW are required to use TOU (PC-1-B); manage peak demand, power factor, and peak-hour load.
Demand ($1.02-1.35/kW/day), reactive power, and high-season peak energy together dominate the bill.
- Correct power factor to cut kVAR charges
- Shift production out of high-season peak windows
- Request a GWP rate evaluation for PC-1-A vs PC-1-B
Multi-tenant building owner / energy manager
Use AB 802 whole-building benchmarking and Opower Green Button exports to baseline and benchmark a portfolio, since no automated API exists.
AB 802 provides aggregated whole-building data and Green Button covers per-account interval analysis.
- Submit AB 802 Data Request Forms to UsageRequest@glendaleca.gov
- Collect tenant data release forms where needed
- Upload to ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
Historical Rate Trends
The Glendale City Council adopted phased electric rate increases covering 2024-2028. Energy Cost Adjustment, Regulatory Adjustment, and Revenue Decoupling charges were each set to $0.00/kWh effective January 1, 2024.
November 1, 2026
Scheduled 2.95% electric rate adjustment under the City Council-adopted 2024-2028 phased increases.
+2.95%Overall trend: Phased increases through 2028; a 2.95% adjustment was scheduled for November 1, 2026.
Next expected change: 2.95% rate adjustment scheduled for November 1, 2026 under the 2024-2028 phased plan.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For GWP commercial and industrial customers, managing the trailing-12-month demand peak and shifting load out of high-season peak hours produce the largest savings, because both demand and high-season energy rates are elevated.
Manage the 12-month demand peak
For: LD-2 and PC-1 demand-metered accounts
Demand is billed on the maximum kW over the trailing 12 months. Avoid setting a new annual peak; stagger equipment and use Opower's demand heatmap to spot peak windows.
Shift load to base/off-peak (TOU)
For: L-2-B, LD-2-B, PC-1-B TOU customers
On TOU schedules, move usage out of the afternoon/evening peak windows into base periods, weekends, and the low season.
Correct power factor
For: PC-1 large customers
On PC-1, reactive power (kVAR) is charged $0.01/kVAR/day. Improving power factor reduces kVAR charges and can lower demand.
Use AB 802 benchmarking
For: Multi-tenant commercial building owners
Leverage whole-building benchmarking to identify inefficient buildings and prioritize efficiency investments.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Glendale Water & Power interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a business customer access interval data from GWP?▾
Enroll in the Opower Business Customer Engagement Portal at gwp.opower.com using your GWP Customer ID (no leading zeros) and business name. Opower provides hourly and daily usage, a demand heatmap (kW), bill comparisons, and a Green Button Download My Data feature to export billing and AMI interval data as CSV or XML.
Does GWP provide a third-party API or automated Share My Data?▾
No. GWP has no public developer API and Opower does not expose Green Button Connect My Data. Third-party access is handled through the AB 802 benchmarking program for covered buildings or manual customer energy data release forms with written authorization, processed via UsageRequest@glendaleca.gov.
Which commercial rate schedule applies to my business?▾
Small Business (L-2) applies below 5,000 kWh/month and under 20 kW demand (no demand charge). Medium Business (LD-2) applies at or above 5,000 kWh/month or 20 kW. Large Business (PC-1) is generally best above 150 kW, with TOU (PC-1-B) required above 500 kW. GWP Business Services can run a rate evaluation.
How are GWP demand charges structured?▾
Demand charges apply only to commercial accounts and are billed on a per-kW-per-day basis using the maximum kW reading over the trailing 12 months. For example, LD-2-A demand is $1.10/kW/day in the high season (July-October) and $0.77/kW/day in the low season (November-June); PC-1-A is $1.35 and $1.02/kW/day respectively.
Can a Glendale business choose a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. GWP is a city-owned municipal utility, so there is no retail choice and Community Choice Aggregation does not apply. All commercial and industrial customers buy electricity from GWP at City Council-approved rates.
Do GWP commercial rates change seasonally?▾
Yes. GWP uses a High Season (July-October) and Low Season (November-June) for both energy and demand charges, with TOU options that add peak and base period pricing. High-season energy and demand rates are notably higher, so summer load management has outsized bill impact.
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