Longmont Power & Communications Rate Selection Guide
Longmont Power & Communications (LPC) is a community-owned municipal electric utility serving about 43,700 customers in Longmont, Colorado. LPC has completed a Landis+Gyr AMI smart meter deployment and offers Green Button Connect My Data third-party access through UtilityAPI, making it one of the most data-friendly municipal utilities of its size.
Longmont Power & Communications Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE — Commercial Energy | Small commercial (<50 kW) | 11.50¢/kWh non-summer, 12.63¢/kWh summer + $29/mo | Offices, retail and small shops with low peak demand |
| CD — Commercial Demand | Mid commercial (50–800 kW) | 6.68–7.35¢/kWh + $19.10–$21.00/kW demand + $138/mo | Mid-size facilities with steady load factors |
| CCD — Coincident Demand | Large C&I (>800 kW) | 6.54–7.18¢/kWh + $15.30–$16.83/kW coincident + $5.56–$6.13/kW max demand + $534/mo | Large facilities that can curtail at PRPA system peak |
| CRU — Renewable Energy | Voluntary green rider | +0.84¢/kWh in 500 kWh blocks | Businesses with renewable procurement or ESG targets |
Market Overview
Longmont Power & Communications is a community-owned municipal utility whose rates are set by the Longmont City Council. Colorado has no retail electric choice, so all customers take bundled generation, transmission and distribution service from LPC, with wholesale power supplied by Platte River Power Authority. Rates include an 8.64% city franchise fee yet remain among the lowest in Colorado — small commercial customers pay roughly 20% below the state average and industrial customers about 11% below.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Longmont Power & Communications Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
LPC's 2025 commercial rates are seasonally differentiated (summer/non-summer) and tiered by demand: Commercial Energy (CE) for under 50 kW, Commercial Demand (CD) for 50–800 kW, and Commercial Coincident Demand (CCD) for over 800 kW, where billing is partly based on coincident demand at the Platte River Power Authority system peak. Self-generation variants (CEGE/CDGE/CCGE) exist for customers with on-site DER up to 50 kW.
Effective: January 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Energy Rate (CE) | commercial | Commercial customers with demand under 50 kW per month | $29.00/month customer charge; energy 11.50¢/kWh non-summer, 12.63¢/kWh summer; no demand charge | — |
| Commercial Demand Rate (CD) | commercial | Customers exceeding 50 kW demand in any two consecutive months (up to 800 kW) | $138.00/month customer charge; energy 6.68¢/kWh non-summer, 7.35¢/kWh summer; demand $19.10/kW non-summer, $21.00/kW summer (highest 15-minute average demand) | — |
| Commercial Coincident Demand Rate (CCD) | industrial | Customers whose demand exceeds 800 kW in two consecutive months | $534.00/month customer charge; energy 6.54¢/kWh non-summer, 7.18¢/kWh summer; coincident demand $15.30/kW non-summer, $16.83/kW summer (at PRPA system peak); maximum demand $5.56/kW non-summer, $6.13/kW summer | — |
| Commercial Demand Self Generation Rate (CDGE) | commercial | Business customers above 50 kW with on-site DER up to 50 kW (PTO on/after Jan 1, 2025) | $138.00/month charge; energy 6.68¢/7.35¢ per kWh (non-summer/summer); demand $19.10/$21.00 per kW; generation export credit 5.26¢/kWh year-round | — |
| Commercial Coincident Self Generation Rate (CCGE) | industrial | Business customers above 800 kW with on-site DER up to 50 kW (PTO on/after Jan 1, 2025) | $534.00/month charge; energy 6.54¢/7.18¢ per kWh; coincident demand $15.30/$16.83 per kW; export credit 5.26¢/kWh | — |
| Renewable Energy Rate (CRU) | commercial | Business customers subscribing to renewable energy in 500 kWh blocks for 12 consecutive months | Premium of 0.84¢/kWh on top of the customer's standard rate | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial (office/retail, <50 kW)
Stay on CE and focus on consumption reduction since there is no demand charge.
CE bills only energy (11.50–12.63¢/kWh) plus $29/month, so kWh reduction is the only lever.
- Use MyUtilityAccount usage downloads to find baseload waste
- Shift discretionary load out of summer months where possible
- Apply Efficiency Works rebates for lighting/HVAC
Mid-size facility (manufacturing, grocery, 50–800 kW)
Manage 15-minute peak demand aggressively on the CD rate.
At $19.10–$21.00/kW, demand often drives 40%+ of the bill; hourly AMI data via Green Button reveals controllable peaks.
- Pull interval data via UtilityAPI to map peak windows
- Sequence motor/compressor starts
- Consider battery storage for peak clipping
Large C&I campus (>800 kW)
Exploit the CCD coincident demand structure with peak-prediction and curtailment.
Most demand cost keys on the single PRPA system peak hour, so predictive curtailment yields outsized savings versus a flat demand charge.
- Track PRPA system peak forecasts
- Automate curtailment of non-critical load during predicted peak hours
- Benchmark against the smaller $5.56–$6.13/kW maximum demand component
Sustainability-driven business
Layer the CRU renewable rider and on-site DER under the self-generation rates.
CRU offers low-cost renewable claims at +0.84¢/kWh; CDGE/CCGE structures preserve standard rates while crediting exports at 5.26¢/kWh.
- Size DER at or below 50 kW to stay rate-eligible
- Use benchmarking data for ENERGY STAR and Colorado compliance reporting
- Combine with Efficiency Works measures first
Historical Rate Trends
LPC rates are set by the Longmont City Council and have risen modestly but steadily, remaining well below Colorado averages. Recent increases were 2.5% (2022), 2.1% (2023), and a proposed 6.8% increase in energy and demand charges for 2024 and 2025.
January 1, 2022
City Council approved electric rate increase averaging about $1.79/month for residential customers
+2.5%January 1, 2023
Electric rate increase averaging about $1.61/month
+2.1%January 1, 2024
Proposed 6.8% increase in energy use and demand charges approved for 2024
+6.8%January 1, 2025
Second year of the two-year 6.8% energy and demand charge increase; 2025 commercial rate card took effect
+6.8%Overall trend: Gradual increases of roughly 2–7% per year, driven largely by Platte River Power Authority wholesale costs; LPC remains 11–20% below Colorado averages for C&I customers.
Next expected change: Rate adjustments are reviewed by the Longmont City Council, typically in fall for the following calendar year; monitor the LPC rates page for 2027 proposals.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because LPC's mid and large commercial rates are demand-heavy — and the CCD rate keys on coincident demand at the Platte River system peak — the biggest savings come from peak demand management, validated with hourly Green Button interval data.
Peak demand shaving on CD
For: CD customers (50–800 kW)
Stagger equipment startups and use BMS controls to limit the highest 15-minute demand window; each avoided kW is worth $19.10–$21.00/month.
Coincident peak curtailment on CCD
For: CCD customers (>800 kW)
Forecast Platte River Power Authority system peak hours and curtail or shift load during those windows to reduce the $15.30–$16.83/kW coincident demand charge.
Rate class verification
For: Customers near the 50 kW threshold
If demand stays below 50 kW for 12 consecutive months, request reassignment from CD to CE to drop the $138 customer charge and demand charges; conversely, high-load-factor CE customers near 50 kW should model CD.
On-site solar + storage under CDGE/CCGE
For: C&I with roof/site capacity
DER up to 50 kW reduces purchased kWh and, paired with storage, clips demand peaks; exports credit at 5.26¢/kWh for post-2025 systems.
Efficiency Works retrofits
For: All commercial customers
Use Platte River's Efficiency Works business assessments and rebates for lighting, HVAC and controls upgrades to cut both kWh and kW.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Longmont Power & Communications interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can my energy consultant access our Longmont interval data programmatically?▾
LPC offers Green Button Connect My Data through UtilityAPI. Your consultant registers as a service provider at benchmarking.longmontcolorado.gov, then sends you an authorization link. After you authenticate with your LPC online account credentials and set the scope and duration, they can pull hourly interval data, bills and account details via the UtilityAPI v2 REST API in JSON or XML.
Does Longmont Power & Communications support EDI for invoices or usage (810/820/867)?▾
No. LPC does not maintain an ANSI X12 EDI trading partner program. As a municipal utility outside deregulated markets, it has standardized on Green Button Connect My Data via UtilityAPI as its programmatic data exchange channel, which covers bills, intervals and account data for aggregators and bill-pay vendors.
What interval granularity is available from LPC smart meters?▾
LPC's Landis+Gyr Revelo AMI meters are read multiple times per day. Hourly interval data is broadly available, with 30-minute and 15-minute granularity accessible through Green Button Connect where supported by the meter data. Billing demand on commercial rates is calculated from the highest 15-minute average demand.
Which commercial rate applies to my facility?▾
Under 50 kW demand you're on the Commercial Energy (CE) rate with no demand charge. If you exceed 50 kW in two consecutive months you move to Commercial Demand (CD), and above 800 kW in two consecutive months you're billed on the Commercial Coincident Demand (CCD) rate, where most demand cost keys on the Platte River Power Authority system peak hour.
How do I get whole-building data for ENERGY STAR benchmarking in Longmont?▾
LPC runs a Building Energy Benchmarking program for commercial buildings of 20,000 sq ft or more. Request whole-building aggregated electric and water data (12 months) via benchmarkinginfo@longmontcolorado.gov or (303) 651-8700; data arrives in an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager-compatible format. Note possible delays due to a 2024 vendor transition.
Can customers revoke third-party data access?▾
Yes. All third-party sharing through the LPC/UtilityAPI portal is opt-in and time-limited. Customers can review and revoke any active authorization at any time from the 'My Authorizations' dashboard at benchmarking.longmontcolorado.gov.
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