La Plata Electric Association Rate Selection Guide
La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 47,000 members across 3,370 square miles of southwestern Colorado from its Durango headquarters. LPEA provides data access through the NISC SmartHub portal, AMI smart meters, and a manual billing-data authorization process, but does not offer Green Button, EDI, or a public API.
La Plata Electric Association Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2-21 | Small Commercial 3-Phase | $55/mo + $6.23/kW + $0.1050/kWh | Small businesses with three-phase service and moderate demand |
| LP-30 | Large Commercial | $100/mo + $18.34/kW + $0.0700/kWh | Large commercial loads with high, steady demand |
| LP-31 | Primary Service | $1,300/mo + $7.18/kW + $0.11/$0.06 on/off-peak kWh | Large C&I taking primary-voltage substation service |
| TCP-36 | Transmission Coincident Peak | $1,300/mo + $27.38/kW coincident + $0.0445/kWh | Very large (>10 MW) transmission-level industrial loads |
| B5-28 / CTOU-24 | Commercial Time-of-Use | On $0.2345-$0.2828 / Off $0.0650-$0.0690 per kWh | Businesses able to shift load off the 2-8 PM peak window |
Market Overview
LPEA is a member-owned distribution cooperative. Members receive bundled service and cannot shop for a competitive electricity supplier. Rates are set by the member-elected Board. LPEA is completing its exit from Tri-State G&T in spring 2026 to diversify its power supply.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the La Plata Electric Association Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
LPEA commercial and industrial rates below took effect April 1, 2025 and were held flat for 2026. Each demand-metered schedule combines a fixed monthly base charge, a $/kW demand (or peak) charge, and a per-kWh energy charge. All figures are verified from LPEA's published 2025/2026 rate tariff.
Effective: April 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2-21 Small Commercial Three Phase | commercial | Larger three-phase commercial meters with higher anticipated demand than single-phase service. | Base $55.00/mo; Demand $6.23/kW/mo; Energy $0.1050/kWh | — |
| LP-30 Large Commercial (Large General Service) | commercial | Three-phase service for large commercial accounts. | Base $100.00/mo; Demand $18.34/kW/mo; Energy $0.0700/kWh | — |
| B5-28 Three Phase Time-of-Use | commercial | Larger three-phase commercial meters on time-of-use pricing. | Base $55.00/mo; Demand $7.71/kW/mo; On-Peak $0.2345/kWh; Off-Peak $0.0650/kWh (On-Peak 2-8 PM Mon-Sat) | — |
| LP-31 Primary Service | industrial | Commercial/industrial customers >50 kVA/50 kW taking primary-voltage service from an LPEA substation. | Base $1,300.00/mo; Demand $7.18/kW/mo; On-Peak Energy $0.1100/kWh; Off-Peak Energy $0.0600/kWh | — |
| TCP-36 Transmission Coincident Peak | industrial | Optional rate for industrial customers >10 MW taking service at transmission voltage. | Base $1,300.00/mo; Coincident Demand $27.38/kW/mo; Energy $0.0445/kWh | — |
| CTOU-24 Small Commercial Time-of-Use | commercial | Smaller commercial loads electing time-of-use pricing. | Base $25.30/mo; On-Peak $0.2828/kWh; Off-Peak $0.0690/kWh (On-Peak 2-8 PM Mon-Sat) | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small three-phase business
Standard small C&I service with moderate demand.
B2-21 offers the lowest base charge ($55/mo) and demand rate ($6.23/kW) for three-phase loads that do not justify large-commercial service.
- Track monthly peak kW in SmartHub
- Avoid simultaneous heavy equipment starts
Large commercial facility
High, steady demand load such as a warehouse, grocery, or manufacturer.
LP-30's lower energy rate ($0.0700/kWh) suits high-usage sites; primary service LP-31 cuts $/kW for very large, high-load-factor loads despite a $1,300 base charge.
- Model LP-30 vs. LP-31 at your load factor
- Deploy storage to shave demand
Load-flexible operation
Business that can shift discretionary load out of afternoon peaks.
TOU schedules reward shifting consumption out of the 2-8 PM Mon-Sat peak, where off-peak energy is roughly 70% cheaper.
- Automate load shifting to off-peak hours
- Pre-cool or pre-charge before the 2 PM peak
Very large industrial / transmission load
Industrial customer above 10 MW taking transmission-voltage service.
TCP-36 bills on coincident demand aligned to the transmission peak with a low energy rate ($0.0445/kWh), favorable for very large, well-managed loads.
- Manage load against the transmission coincident peak
- Use storage/curtailment at system peak
Historical Rate Trends
LPEA's most recent rate change took effect April 1, 2025, raising rates an average of about 7.7% to keep pace with inflation and grid investment, including substantial demand-charge increases on commercial schedules. For 2026 the Board held rates flat, adding only a renewable rider update and a new wheeling charge.
April 1, 2025
Average ~7.7% increase across rate schedules; commercial demand charges rose sharply (e.g., B2-21 demand $3.25 to $6.23/kW; LP-30 demand $15.21 to $18.34/kW).
+7.7%January 1, 2026
2026 rates held flat; only an opt-in renewable rider (R18) update and a new wheeling charge (W70) added. No C&I energy or demand rate change.
0%Overall trend: One increase in 2025 followed by a flat 2026; future direction depends on LPEA's post-Tri-State power supply costs.
Next expected change: No commercial/industrial rate change scheduled for 2026; next change likely tied to LPEA's 2026 power-supply transition.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because LPEA C&I bills are dominated by demand and (for TOU schedules) peak energy charges, the highest-value strategies focus on shaving peak kW and shifting load out of the 2-8 PM weekday window.
Peak demand management
For: B2-21, LP-30, LP-31, TCP-36
Stagger large equipment startups and use load controls to cut the monthly peak kW that drives demand charges of $6.23-$27.38/kW.
Time-of-use load shifting
For: CTOU-24, B5-28
On CTOU-24/B5-28, move discretionary load out of the 2-8 PM Mon-Sat peak to capture off-peak energy near $0.065/kWh vs. $0.23-$0.28 on-peak.
Right-size the rate schedule
For: All C&I
Compare B2-21 vs. LP-30 vs. LP-31 for your load factor; primary service (LP-31) lowers $/kW for large, steady loads despite a higher base charge.
Battery storage & rebates
For: LP-30, LP-31, TCP-36
Use LPEA battery storage rebates and on-bill financing to deploy storage that shaves coincident peaks and demand.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download La Plata Electric Association interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a commercial energy manager pull interval data for LPEA accounts?▾
Log in to SmartHub (https://lpea.smarthub.coop/) for each account and export hourly usage to CSV. For bulk or multi-account delivery, submit a signed Billing Data Authorization Release Form to memberservices@lpea.coop and specify the accounts, period, granularity, and format. LPEA delivers data manually since there is no API.
Does LPEA support Green Button or an API for C&I data?▾
No. LPEA does not implement Green Button Download/Connect My Data and offers no public API. Hourly CSV export from SmartHub is the closest first-party option; unofficial reverse-engineered tools exist for NISC SmartHub but are unsupported and may conflict with terms of service.
Which LPEA rate schedules apply to commercial and industrial accounts?▾
Small three-phase commercial loads use Schedule B2-21; larger demand-metered loads use Large Commercial LP-30; primary-voltage service uses LP-31; very large transmission-level loads (>10 MW) can elect TCP-36 (Transmission Coincident Peak). Time-of-use options include CTOU-24 and B5-28.
How does LPEA bill demand for C&I customers?▾
Demand-metered schedules (B2-21, LP-30, LP-31) bill a $/kW demand charge based on the member's highest measured kilowatt load in the billing period, plus a fixed base charge and a per-kWh energy charge. TCP-36 bills on coincident demand aligned to the transmission peak.
Are LPEA rates changing in 2026?▾
No. LPEA held rates flat for 2026 after the April 1, 2025 changes (a ~7.7% average increase). The 2026 tariff added only an opt-in renewable rider update (R18) and a new wheeling charge (W70); commercial and industrial energy and demand rates remained unchanged.
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