Jefferson Energy Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Jefferson Energy Cooperative is a rural electric membership corporation serving about 36,900 accounts across 11 central Georgia counties. Itron cellular AMI meters have been deployed territory-wide since 2013, but member-facing data access stays basic: an online billing portal and JEC Power Link app with PDF bills, plus manual authorization-letter requests for third parties — no Green Button, EDI, or public API.
Market Overview
Jefferson Energy Cooperative operates as a vertically integrated EMC in Georgia's regulated retail market. Members receive bundled service with board-set rates; rate schedules and tariffs are available through the cooperative and Georgia PSC filings.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Jefferson Energy Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Jefferson Energy Cooperative files its rate schedules with the Georgia PSC under its Alternative Rate Plan (ARP-4). Commercial accounts take General Service Schedule B — an hours-use (load factor) rate rather than a separate demand charge: energy starts at 11.91¢/kWh and steps down to 4.59¢/kWh as consumption per kW of billing demand rises past 200, 400, and 600 kWh/kW. Billing demand is the highest 30-minute kW measurement, with a 90% twelve-month ratchet, and an optional Time-of-Use billing demand election (on-peak 3–9 pm, June–September) is available for a $15/month metering charge. A Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (Schedule PCA) flows wholesale costs through monthly. Residential members choose standard Schedule A or Prepaid Schedule APP.
Effective: March 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service – Schedule B | commercial | Single-phase and multi-phase commercial, agricultural, and industrial service not covered by another schedule — the workhorse C&I rate | $56.00/month customer charge; blocked energy 11.91¢ (first 10,000 kWh), 10.78¢ (next 190,000), 9.77¢ (over 200,000), stepping down to 7.14¢/5.36¢/4.59¢ per kWh as usage exceeds 200/400/600 kWh per kW of billing demand; minimum bill includes $3.00/kW above 30 kW; PCA applies | 11.91¢ first block down to 4.59¢/kWh high-load-factor tail+ Embedded in hours-use blocks; billing demand = highest 30-min kW, 90% 12-month ratchet, 10 kW floor |
| Schedule B – Time-of-Use Billing Demand Option | commercial | Schedule B consumers who elect TOU billing demand and can avoid summer on-peak hours (3–9 pm, June 1–September 30) | Billing demand becomes the greater of 100% of on-peak demand or 20% of off-peak demand (10 kW floor); $15.00/month metering charge plus consumer-paid metering equipment costs | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Manufacturing and processing plants (high load factor)
Plants in JEC's east-central Georgia territory — wood products, agribusiness processing, and manufacturers near the Augusta corridor — benefit most from Schedule B's hours-use design.
Schedule B rewards load factor directly: consumption beyond 600 kWh per kW of billing demand prices at just 4.59¢/kWh versus 11.91¢ in the first block. Running flat, continuous load drives the blended rate down without any rate switch.
- Push monthly hours-use past the 200/400/600 kWh-per-kW breakpoints by flattening production schedules across shifts
- Control the 30-minute peak that sets billing demand — the 90% twelve-month ratchet means one spike inflates bills for a year
- Watch the PCA line item monthly; wholesale power cost swings flow straight through to the bill
Seasonal and daytime-peaking commercial (retail, offices, schools)
Low-load-factor accounts — schools, churches, retail, and offices that peak briefly on summer afternoons — can evaluate the Schedule B Time-of-Use billing demand election.
Under the TOU election, off-peak demand counts at only 20%, so a facility that keeps its 3–9 pm June–September load down can shrink billing demand dramatically — lowering both the minimum bill and pushing more kWh into the cheaper hours-use blocks. The $15/month metering charge is trivial against the upside.
- Pre-cool buildings before 3 pm in summer and let HVAC coast through the 3–9 pm on-peak window
- Model a year of 30-minute interval data before electing TOU billing demand — 100% of any on-peak spike still counts
- Schedule irrigation, refrigeration defrost, and EV charging outside summer on-peak hours
Agricultural operations: irrigation, poultry, grain handling
JEC's rural territory carries substantial agricultural load — irrigation pivots, poultry house ventilation, and grain drying — typically served under Schedule B with seasonal demand patterns.
Seasonal ag loads are punished by the 12-month demand ratchet (90% of the highest prior-month demand) and by minimum-bill transformer charges (75¢/kVA over 37.5 kVA). Timing pumping off-peak and right-sizing transformers both pay.
- Run irrigation pumps overnight and outside 3–9 pm summer on-peak if on the TOU demand election
- Right-size cooperative-supplied transformers — the minimum bill charges 75¢/kVA on capacity above 37.5 kVA whether you use it or not
- Coordinate grain drying and pumping so multiple motors don't stack into the same 30-minute demand interval
Cost Optimization Strategies
Schedule B's hours-use structure makes Jefferson Energy one of the more optimization-friendly cooperative tariffs in Georgia: load factor, peak control, and the optional TOU demand election are all levers a C&I member controls directly. The Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment and the 90% demand ratchet are the two line items to actively manage.
Load-factor improvement
For: All Schedule B demand-metered accounts, especially multi-shift industrial loads
Flatten production and HVAC schedules so monthly kWh per kW of billing demand climbs past the 200, 400, and 600 hours-use breakpoints, where marginal energy drops from 11.91¢ to as low as 4.59¢/kWh.
Demand ratchet management
For: Any account over 10 kW billing demand
Stagger motor starts and large-load cycles so no single 30-minute interval spikes. Billing demand floors at 90% of your highest prior-12-month demand, so one peak echoes through a full year of bills and minimum charges.
TOU billing demand election
For: Low-load-factor or schedulable loads: schools, irrigation, cold storage with thermal flexibility
Elect the Time-of-Use billing demand option if you can suppress load during summer on-peak (3–9 pm, June–September). Off-peak demand counts at just 20%, collapsing billing demand for evening- and night-running operations.
Transformer and minimum-bill right-sizing
For: Seasonal, vacant, or downsized facilities with legacy oversized service
Audit installed transformer capacity against actual load. The minimum monthly bill adds 75¢/kVA for cooperative-supplied capacity above 37.5 kVA and $3.00/kW of billing demand over 30 kW — oversized service costs money every month, even idle.
PCA-aware budgeting and efficiency
For: All commercial and industrial members
Track the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (Schedule PCA) monthly and weight efficiency investments against the full adjusted rate, not just base energy. JEC's SmartHub usage data supports verifying savings from lighting, compressed air, and HVAC projects.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Jefferson Energy Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do commercial customers access billing data from Jefferson Energy Cooperative?▾
Register the account at https://onlinebilling.jec.coop/onlineportal/ to view current and historical bills (12-24 months), balance, and payment history, with PDF downloads. The JEC Power Link app mirrors these features on mobile. There is no CSV/XML export, so energy teams download PDFs and digitize them.
Does Jefferson Energy have interval data despite no Green Button?▾
Yes — Itron cellular AMI meters have been deployed territory-wide since 2013 and collect hourly or daily reads. The data is reachable only through portal usage views or a manual request: call Member Services at (706) 547-2167, ask for hourly interval metering data, provide the account number and a 30-60 day window, and expect 5-10 business days.
Can a consultant or aggregator pull JEC member data automatically?▾
Yes. Nectar provides API access to JEC billing and interval data — see docs.nectarclimate.com. The cooperative itself offers no API; direct utility requests need a customer-signed authorization letter submitted to Martha Scott at mscott@jec.coop with your business credentials, with manual PDF or CSV delivery in 10-15 business days. For recurring needs, ask about a master service agreement.
Does JEC support Green Button or EDI?▾
Neither. JEC is absent from the Green Button Alliance directory, and no EDI trading partner program (814/820/867) is documented for third-party access. The SCADA stack uses MultiSpeak internally, but no ESPI endpoint is exposed. Structured exchange requires a negotiated data sharing agreement with CSV delivery via secure FTP or email.
Can JEC members shop for a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. Georgia's retail market is regulated, and existing co-op members take bundled service from Jefferson Energy with board-set rates filed at the Georgia PSC (Docket 31536). Cost optimization centers on rate schedule selection — including levelized billing and prepaid options — and load management.
Automate Jefferson Energy Cooperative Rate Analysis with Nectar
Nectar continuously monitors your Jefferson Energy Cooperative 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