Lake Country Power Rate Selection Guide
Lake Country Power is a member-owned rural electric cooperative serving roughly 51,000 accounts across northeastern Minnesota. It provides billing and AMI usage data through the NISC SmartHub portal but has not implemented Green Button, a public API, or EDI; third-party data access is custom-negotiated.
Lake Country Power Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (Summer) | Commercial | 16.93 cents/kWh + $50.00/mo service charge | Commercial accounts; highest cost period (Jun-Aug) |
| General Service (Winter) | Commercial | 15.93 cents/kWh + $50.00/mo service charge | Commercial accounts; Dec-Feb |
| General Service (Shoulder) | Commercial | 14.93 cents/kWh + $50.00/mo service charge | Commercial accounts; lowest cost period (Mar-May, Sep-Nov) |
| C&I Interruptible Program | Industrial | Lower interruptible rate (sell sheet); requires curtailment | Loads with avg. demand 25 kW+ that can curtail |
Market Overview
Lake Country Power is a member-owned distribution cooperative buying wholesale power from Great River Energy. Retail rates are set by the member-elected board; cooperatives are largely exempt from Minnesota PUC rate regulation. There is no competitive retail supplier choice for members.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Lake Country Power Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Lake Country Power's 2026 General Service (commercial) rate is a seasonal energy rate plus a fixed $50.00/month Service Availability Charge: 14.93 cents/kWh in shoulder months (Mar-May and Sept-Nov), 15.93 cents/kWh in winter (Dec-Feb), and 16.93 cents/kWh in summer (Jun-Aug). A general service rate increase took effect January 1, 2025 (+0.73 cents/kWh) driven by an ~8% wholesale power cost increase from Great River Energy. Larger commercial members can pursue the C&I Interruptible Program (avg. demand 25 kW+) for a lower rate in exchange for curtailment. Published General Service rates do not list a separate per-kW demand charge; verify large-load terms with the cooperative.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service - Summer (Jun-Aug) | commercial | Commercial / small business general service accounts during summer months. | Service Availability Charge $50.00/month plus energy at 16.93 cents/kWh (summer, June-August). | — |
| General Service - Winter (Dec-Feb) | commercial | Commercial / small business general service accounts during winter months. | Service Availability Charge $50.00/month plus energy at 15.93 cents/kWh (winter, December-February). | — |
| General Service - Shoulder (Mar-May, Sep-Nov) | commercial | Commercial / small business general service accounts during shoulder months. | Service Availability Charge $50.00/month plus energy at 14.93 cents/kWh (shoulder, March-May and September-November). | — |
| Commercial & Industrial Interruptible Program | industrial | Commercial members with average yearly demand of 25 kW or more willing to curtail load during peak events. | Lower-cost interruptible electric rate in exchange for load curtailment during grid peak/high-wholesale-cost periods. Specific cents/kWh published in the program sell sheet; contact the cooperative. | — |
| Reduced-Rate / Off-Peak Programs | commercial | Members with qualifying controllable loads (dual fuel, off-peak heating/water heating, EV charging). | Energy Wise off-peak rates (examples): dual fuel 7.64 cents/kWh; off-peak heating 6.07-6.81 cents/kWh seasonal; 8-hour interruptible water heating 7.22 cents/kWh. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large commercial / industrial load (25 kW+ avg. demand)
Evaluate the C&I Interruptible Program for a lower rate in exchange for curtailment capability.
Members at 25 kW+ average demand who can curtail during peaks get a lower per-kWh rate than standard General Service.
- Confirm average yearly demand is 25 kW or more
- Assess on-site generation or curtailable processes
- Call Member Service at 1-800-421-9959 (press 6) to enroll
Seasonal commercial operation
Shift discretionary load out of summer to capture the lower shoulder-season rate.
Summer energy (16.93 cents/kWh) is ~12% above shoulder (14.93 cents/kWh), so seasonal shifting reduces cost.
- Schedule energy-intensive work in shoulder months where possible
- Use SmartHub usage graphs to track seasonal consumption
- Pre-cool/pre-heat off the summer rate window when feasible
Facility with controllable heating / water heating / EV loads
Move qualifying loads onto Energy Wise off-peak programs for roughly half the General Service rate.
Off-peak/dual-fuel rates (~6.07-7.64 cents/kWh) are far below General Service energy rates.
- Identify dual-fuel heating, water heating, or EV charging loads
- Install controllable/off-peak metering with the co-op
- Confirm program eligibility with Member Service
Energy consultant / aggregator onboarding an LCP account
Plan for LOA-based manual data acquisition since there is no API or Green Button.
LCP has no programmatic third-party access; data requires a signed Letter of Authorization and negotiated delivery.
- Get a signed Letter of Authorization from the member
- Submit to Billing at 1-800-421-9959 (press 5) and negotiate email/SFTP delivery
- For interval data, consider the unofficial community SmartHub-API tool on the member's own account
Historical Rate Trends
Lake Country Power adjusts retail rates to pass through wholesale power costs from Great River Energy. A general service increase took effect January 1, 2025, adding 0.73 cents/kWh to residential and small commercial rates, driven by an expected ~8% wholesale cost increase tied to generation/transmission buildout.
January 1, 2025
General service rate increase of 0.73 cents/kWh (about $5-$7/month for a typical 600-1,000 kWh residential member), driven by ~8% wholesale power cost increase. No change to the monthly Service Availability Charge.
+0.73 cents/kWhJanuary 1, 2026
2026 General Service rates in effect: $50.00/mo service availability; seasonal energy 14.93 (shoulder), 15.93 (winter), 16.93 (summer) cents/kWh.
n/aOverall trend: Rising, driven by wholesale power cost pass-through; the cooperative used deferred revenue to limit the 2025 increase to the direct pass-through amount.
Next expected change: Future changes tied to Great River Energy wholesale power costs and annual board rate review; no specific next date published.
Cost Optimization Strategies
With no supplier choice and a seasonal flat energy rate, Lake Country Power C&I members save mainly by shifting consumption to lower-cost seasons/off-peak, enrolling controllable loads in Energy Wise programs, joining the C&I Interruptible Program when eligible, and using commercial rebates and energy assessments.
C&I Interruptible Program enrollment
For: Commercial/industrial loads with avg. demand 25 kW or more
Members with 25 kW+ average yearly demand can take a lower-cost rate in exchange for curtailing load during peak events.
Seasonal load shifting
For: Commercial accounts with seasonal flexibility
Shift flexible/discretionary consumption away from summer (16.93 cents/kWh) toward shoulder months (14.93 cents/kWh) where operations allow.
Energy Wise off-peak programs
For: Members with controllable loads
Enroll qualifying controllable loads (dual fuel, off-peak heating/water heating, EV charging) at off-peak rates of roughly 6.07-7.64 cents/kWh.
Commercial rebates & energy assessments
For: All commercial members
Use LCP's commercial rebates (lighting, motors/VFDs, HVAC, compressed air, refrigeration) and free on-site energy assessments to cut consumption.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Lake Country Power interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a C&I member get usage data from Lake Country Power?▾
Use SmartHub to view monthly, daily, and (with AMI) hourly usage graphs and to download PDF bills. There is no native CSV/XML export. For 15-minute interval data or bulk exports, call Billing at 1-800-421-9959 (press 5) and request it; technical members can also use the unofficial community SmartHub-API tool for their own account.
Does Lake Country Power offer Green Button or a data API?▾
No. There is no Green Button Download/Connect My Data, no public developer API, and no EDI program. SmartHub is customer-facing only. Third-party access is custom-negotiated under a signed Letter of Authorization.
How can a consultant or aggregator access a member's data?▾
The member signs a Letter of Authorization, the consultant submits it to the billing department, and a delivery method (email, SFTP, or manual download) is negotiated along with a data-sharing agreement. Data is typically delivered monthly as PDF or CSV.
What commercial rate does Lake Country Power charge?▾
For 2026, the General Service rate has a $50.00/month Service Availability Charge and seasonal energy rates: 14.93 cents/kWh in the shoulder months (March-May and September-November), 15.93 cents/kWh in winter (December-February), and 16.93 cents/kWh in summer (June-August). Larger C&I loads can pursue the C&I Interruptible Program.
Can large commercial members lower their rate?▾
Yes. Members with an average yearly demand of 25 kW or more can enroll in the Commercial & Industrial Interruptible Program, which provides a lower-cost rate in exchange for curtailing load during peak grid events. Contact Member Service at 1-800-421-9959 (press 6).
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