Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation Rate Selection Guide
Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation (STEMC) is a rural electric cooperative serving about 52,353 members across eleven southwest Tennessee counties. As a TVA distributor, it resells TVA-generated power at board-set rates and offers data access via its Utility Nexus member portal and the MyUsage daily-usage app, with no Green Button, EDI, or third-party API.
Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSA1 | Small commercial | 13.459 cents/kWh; $30.50 customer charge; no demand charge | Small businesses with modest, non-demand-metered load |
| GSA2 | Medium commercial | 14.140 cents/kWh (first 15,000), 8.737 cents/kWh additional; $19.13/kW (51-1,000 kW) | Mid-size commercial with demand up to ~1,000 kW |
| GSA3 | Large industrial | 8.281 cents/kWh; demand $19.37-$21.85/kW by tier | Large/industrial high-load-factor facilities |
Market Overview
STEMC is a not-for-profit electric cooperative that distributes power generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Rates are set by the cooperative's board and incorporate TVA's monthly Fuel Cost Adjustment. Tennessee cooperatives are exempt from state PUC rate regulation and self-regulate. There is no retail supplier choice; members purchase electricity solely from STEMC.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
STEMC resells TVA power at board-set rates updated monthly to reflect the TVA Fuel Cost Adjustment. The verified schedules below are from the STEMC rate sheet effective on meters read June 1-30, 2026. Commercial/industrial classes are General Power 1 (GSA1), General Power 2 (GSA2), and General Power 3 (GSA3), with demand charges applying at GSA2 and GSA3. All general power rates are subject to sales tax if applicable.
Effective: June 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Power 1 (GSA1) | commercial | Small commercial / general service customers (small demand). | Customer charge $30.50/month; all kWh 13.459 cents/kWh. No demand charge. (June 2026 rate sheet, includes TVA FCA.) | — |
| General Power 2 (GSA2) | commercial | Medium commercial customers with demand up to ~1,000 kW. | Customer charge $75.00/month; first 15,000 kWh at 14.140 cents/kWh, additional kWh at 8.737 cents/kWh; demand: first 50 kW $0.00, 51-1,000 kW at $19.13/kW. (June 2026 rate sheet, includes TVA FCA.) | — |
| General Power 3 (GSA3) | industrial | Large commercial / industrial customers (large demand, contract demand applies). | Customer charge $350.00/month; all kWh 8.281 cents/kWh; demand: 0-1,000 kW $19.37/kW, 1,001-2,500 kW $21.62/kW, 2,501-5,000 kW $21.85/kW (plus $21.85/kW for billing demand above the higher of 2,500 kW or contract demand). (June 2026 rate sheet, includes TVA FCA.) | — |
| Outdoor Lighting | commercial | Outdoor / area lighting service (mercury, sodium, metal halide, LED fixtures). | Flat monthly per-fixture charges, e.g., LED 48 $6.91/month, LED 143 $12.06/month, Sodium 400 Flood $23.57/month. Optional pole rental $3.00/month. (June 2026 rate sheet.) | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large industrial facility
Take GSA3 and run high load factor while actively managing peak demand and contract demand.
GSA3's 8.281 cents/kWh energy charge favors steady, high-load-factor operations; demand charges ($19.37-$21.85/kW) and contract demand dominate cost.
- Keep billing demand at or below contract demand to avoid the extra $21.85/kW charge
- Improve load factor to dilute demand charges
- Track daily usage in MyUsage to flag peaks
Mid-size commercial (demand-metered)
Use GSA2 and manage peaks to stay efficient within the 51-1,000 kW demand tier.
GSA2 charges $19.13/kW above 50 kW plus tiered energy (14.140 then 8.737 cents/kWh), so demand control and energy beyond 15,000 kWh drive savings.
- Avoid unnecessary demand spikes that raise billed kW
- Shift discretionary load to flatten the demand curve
- Monitor the first-15,000-kWh threshold
Small business / general service
Use GSA1 for simple, predictable billing without demand charges.
GSA1 has no demand charge and a flat 13.459 cents/kWh energy rate, simplest for small loads.
- Track monthly kWh in the Member Portal
- Watch month-to-month TVA FCA movement
- Consider FlexPay for daily visibility
Multi-site C&I needing data
Set up the Member Portal multi-account view and arrange manual exports for portfolio analysis.
STEMC has no API or Green Button, so portfolio reporting depends on the multi-account portal plus negotiated manual exports.
- Use MyUsage per site for daily usage
- Request CSV/Excel exports from the VP of Operations (731-585-0502)
- Plan for manual data collection cadence
Historical Rate Trends
STEMC rates change monthly to incorporate TVA's Fuel Cost Adjustment, which recovers uncontrollable fuel and purchased-power costs that fluctuate with weather and supply/demand. The cooperative publishes a rate sheet for each month; the verified figures here are from the June 2026 sheet.
June 1, 2026
June 2026 rate sheet published incorporating the June 2026 TVA Fuel Cost Adjustment across all rate classes.
n/aOverall trend: Energy charges move month to month with the TVA FCA; the underlying board-set base rates change less frequently.
Next expected change: Next monthly rate sheet (July 2026) per the TVA Fuel Cost Adjustment.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because GSA2 and GSA3 are demand-metered, C&I cost optimization at STEMC centers on improving load factor and shaving peak demand, plus picking the right rate class as load grows.
Peak demand management
For: GSA2 and GSA3
Stagger equipment startups and limit simultaneous peaks to reduce billed kW; demand charges run $19-22/kW on GSA2/GSA3.
Improve load factor
For: GSA2 and GSA3
Spreading consumption across more hours lowers the effective per-kWh cost on demand-metered classes, especially GSA3 with its low 8.281 cents/kWh energy rate.
Right-size the rate class
For: Growing C&I accounts
As demand grows past GSA2's range, GSA3's lower energy charge can offset higher demand charges for high-load-factor operations; review with STEMC.
Use daily usage data to find waste
For: All commercial accounts
Track MyUsage daily data to catch baseload creep, off-hours consumption, and seasonal spikes; pair with FlexPay for tighter visibility.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a third party get my facility's usage data programmatically?▾
No. STEMC offers no Green Button, EDI, or public API. Third-party access requires a written customer authorization and a manual data export negotiated with STEMC Member Services or the VP of Operations (731-585-0502); there is no published SLA.
What usage granularity is available for C&I accounts?▾
Daily usage only, via the MyUsage app (smart-meter readings transmitted once daily). STEMC does not provide 15-minute, 30-minute, or hourly interval data.
Which rate class applies to my business?▾
Small/general-service load uses General Power 1 (GSA1, no demand charge). Medium demand-metered load uses GSA2 (demand up to ~1,000 kW). Large/industrial load uses GSA3, which has the lowest energy rate but tiered demand and contract-demand charges.
Why do my rates change every month?▾
STEMC resells TVA power and applies TVA's Fuel Cost Adjustment, which is recalculated monthly to recover fuel and purchased-power costs that vary with weather and market conditions. A new rate sheet is published each month.
Is there a competitive supplier I can switch to?▾
No. As a TVA distributor and electric cooperative, STEMC is the sole electricity provider in its territory. Tennessee does not offer retail electric choice for cooperative members.
How can a business get CSV or Excel billing data?▾
Contact STEMC and ask for the VP of Operations (731-585-0502) or the Manager of Business Services to request a manual CSV/Excel export. Format and cadence are negotiated case-by-case; there is no self-service export.
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