Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (Nolin RECC) Rate Selection Guide
Nolin RECC is a Touchstone Energy cooperative serving roughly 38,700 members across nine central Kentucky counties, taking wholesale power from East Kentucky Power Cooperative — and the first electric co-op in the nation to earn PEER Gold certification. Its AMI smart meters record hourly intervals, and members export up to 14 months of hourly usage as Green Button XML through NISC SmartHub, though no Connect My Data, API, or EDI program exists.
Market Overview
Nolin RECC is a member-owned distribution cooperative in Kentucky's regulated market, regulated by the Kentucky Public Service Commission and taking wholesale power from East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC). There is no retail supplier choice.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (Nolin RECC) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Nolin RECC's rates are approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission and pass through wholesale costs from East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), a PJM member. The current schedule, effective May 1, 2026, runs from Schedule 1 (residential) through Schedule 2 (commercial), Schedule 3 (large power), Schedule 4 (industrial), and special-contract industrial schedules (7–14) for loads requiring 1,000 kVA or more of transformer capacity, plus an interruptible schedule (15). Billing demand on large power schedules is the maximum 15-minute kW in the billing period. An economic development rider is available for qualifying new C&I loads.
Effective: May 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 2 — Commercial, Small Power | commercial | Single- and three-phase commercial and small power accounts without large-power demand metering. | Member cost of service charge of $24.68/month (single-phase) plus energy charge of $0.10673/kWh. No demand charge. Effective May 1, 2026. | $0.10673/kWh |
| Schedule 3 — Large Power | commercial | Demand-metered commercial accounts; billing demand is the maximum 15-minute kW in the billing period. | Member cost of service charge of $37.56/month, demand charge of $6.46/kW of billing demand, and energy charge of $0.08712/kWh. Effective May 1, 2026. | $0.08712/kWh+ $6.46/kW per month |
| Schedule 4 — Industrial | industrial | Industrial accounts below special-contract scale; demand billed above 10 kW. | Member cost of service charge of $45.61/month, demand charge of $5.31/kW of billing demand, and energy charge of $0.07777/kWh. Effective May 1, 2026. | $0.07777/kWh+ $5.31/kW per month |
| Schedules 7–14 — Special Contract Industrial | industrial | Industrial loads requiring 1,000 kVA or more of three-phase transformer capacity, served by special contract at available voltages. | Contract demand structures — e.g., Schedule 9 carries a ~$690/month customer charge, contract demand charge (~$6.94/kW), excess demand charge (~$10.09/kW), and energy charge (~$0.07246/kWh per the 2025 pass-through filing). Terms vary by schedule; see the PSC tariff. | —+ Contract ~$6.94/kW; excess ~$10.09/kW (Schedule 9, 2025 filing) |
| Schedule 15 — Interruptible | industrial | Large loads able to curtail on cooperative or EKPC notice. | Reduced charges in exchange for curtailment obligations; terms per the PSC tariff and special contract. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Manufacturing and distribution facilities
Industrial accounts in the Elizabethtown/Hardin County corridor bill under Schedule 4, with demand at $5.31/kW and energy at $0.07777/kWh.
Schedule 4's energy rate is roughly 27% below Schedule 2 commercial, so correctly classified industrial loads save materially. Loads needing 1,000+ kVA of transformation move to special contracts where demand terms are negotiated — worth engaging early since contract vs. excess demand pricing (e.g., ~$6.94 vs ~$10.09/kW on Schedule 9) penalizes underestimating.
- Manage the 15-minute billing peak — stagger motor starts and large equipment cycles
- Set special-contract demand levels from interval data, not nameplate ratings
- Use SmartHub hourly interval data to find and time-shift peak-setting loads
New and expanding large loads
Nolin offers an economic development rider and site assistance for C&I loads locating in its territory along the I-65 corridor.
As an EKPC owner-member inside PJM, Nolin has access to 180,000+ MW of diverse generation, and its economic development rider can reduce early-stage costs for qualifying new loads — negotiate before signing the service agreement.
- Ask specifically about the economic development rider eligibility and term
- Request a free C&I energy audit during facility design
- Structure contract demand with a ramp-up schedule for phased openings
Small commercial — retail, offices, farms
Accounts without demand metering take Schedule 2 at a flat $0.10673/kWh.
The Schedule 2/Schedule 3 crossover favors Schedule 3 for high-load-factor accounts: paying $6.46/kW buys energy nearly 2¢/kWh cheaper. An account running 400+ hours of use per kW of peak generally saves on Schedule 3 — ask Nolin for a comparison.
- Request a rate comparison from member services once monthly peaks regularly exceed ~20–30 kW
- Watch EKPC pass-through adjustments — wholesale rate cases (like 2025-00211) flow directly into retail rates
- Claim C&I efficiency rebates for lighting and HVAC upgrades
Curtailable industrial loads and EV fleets
Flexible loads can monetize curtailment through Schedule 15 interruptible service or the SimpleSaver demand response program.
EKPC's PJM membership gives demand flexibility real market value. Nolin participates in the Kentucky Touchstone SimpleSaver program (currently focused on EV charging DR), and interruptible tariff service offers rate relief for loads that can shed on notice.
- Quantify your curtailable kW and tolerable notice period before approaching Nolin
- Enroll managed EV charging in SimpleSaver
- Pair curtailment commitments with on-site backup generation where critical processes can't stop
Cost Optimization Strategies
Nolin's rate design rewards three behaviors: managing the 15-minute billing peak on demand-metered schedules, sitting on the correct schedule as load grows (the Schedule 2→3→4 ladder cuts energy rates ~30% top to bottom), and capturing the cooperative's rebate, audit, and demand response programs backed by EKPC.
15-minute peak management
For: Schedule 3, 4, and special-contract accounts
Billing demand is the single highest 15-minute kW in the period. Stagger motor starts, sequence HVAC recovery, and use SmartHub hourly data to identify peak-setting events.
Rate schedule optimization
For: Growing commercial accounts and multi-meter operations
Compare Schedule 2 flat billing against Schedule 3/4 demand billing annually; high-load-factor accounts save under demand rates ($0.07777–0.08712/kWh vs $0.10673), while peaky loads may belong on Schedule 2.
C&I efficiency rebates and free energy audits
For: All C&I members
Nolin offers commercial and industrial rebates for efficiency and demand response plus free C&I energy audits — use the audit to prioritize lighting, HVAC, and motor upgrades that cut both kWh and kW.
Interruptible service and demand response
For: Industrial loads with sheddable processes; EV fleet operators
Curtailable loads can pursue Schedule 15 interruptible terms or SimpleSaver demand response, monetizing flexibility through EKPC's PJM participation.
Contract demand right-sizing
For: Special-contract industrial accounts (1,000+ kVA)
Special-contract schedules charge a premium for demand above contract (e.g., ~$10.09 vs ~$6.94/kW on Schedule 9). Review contract levels annually against actual interval peaks to avoid both excess charges and paying for unused capacity.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (Nolin RECC) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get hourly interval data from Nolin RECC?▾
Through Green Button: log into SmartHub (https://nolinrecc.smarthub.coop), open My Usage, click Green Button Download My Data, pick a date range up to 14 months and hourly or daily granularity, and download the zipped Atom/ESPI XML. It's free, includes kWh per interval and cost estimates, and flags any estimated intervals. The AMI meters record hourly kW and voltage at every service point.
Can a consultant get automated access to a Nolin member's data?▾
No utility-run automated path exists — Connect My Data isn't enabled and there's no utility API. The manual workflow: the member downloads the Green Button XML and shares it, or signs a data release authorization so the consultant can request data directly at (270) 765-6153, handled case-by-case. For programmatic access, Nectar provides API access to utility billing and interval data — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
Does Nolin RECC support EDI for commercial accounts?▾
Not for customers. No trading partner enrollment, X12 guides, or transaction sets (814/820/867/810) are published. The co-op likely uses EDI internally with EKPC and the Kentucky PSC, but the customer-facing alternative is Green Button XML exports from SmartHub — or middleware that converts utility data into your required formats.
What is the SimpleSaver program and how does data sharing work?▾
SimpleSaver is the Kentucky Touchstone Energy demand response program, currently focused on EV charging. Members opt in, explicitly authorize a trusted third-party vendor to collect charging data, and earn bill credits for charging off-peak (10 PM - 6 AM). It's the only formal third-party data authorization channel Nolin offers — call (270) 765-6153 for details.
What's the best way for an energy platform like Nectar to work with Nolin RECC accounts?▾
Nolin is on Nectar's roadmap. Today, customer-downloaded Green Button XML (hourly, 14 months) plus SmartHub bill PDFs are the reliable inputs — both standard formats. Because Nolin's AMI already records hourly kW and voltage everywhere, and the NISC platform technically supports CMD, automation potential is strong if the co-op enables third-party authorization.
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