Tacoma Power Rate Selection Guide
Tacoma Power (a division of Tacoma Public Utilities) is a municipal electric utility serving roughly 203,000 customers in Washington State. It has fully deployed advanced metering infrastructure and offers billing and usage access through its MyAccount portal plus automated benchmarking via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, though it does not support Green Button or a formal EDI program.
Tacoma Power Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule B | commercial | ~$0.085/kWh all-in (energy + delivery), $35.05/mo customer charge | Small commercial sites without significant demand |
| Schedule G | commercial | $0.058014/kWh + $10.37/kW demand + $82.80/mo | Mid-size commercial with metered demand |
| Schedule HVG | industrial | $0.045729/kWh + $6.45/kW demand | Facilities able to take primary/high voltage |
| Schedule CP | industrial | $0.034198/kWh + $6.22/kW demand (contract) | Large industrial loads under contract |
Market Overview
Tacoma Power is a municipal, consumer-owned utility. Washington is a regulated market with no retail electric choice for most customers, so C&I accounts take bundled service under city-ordinance rate schedules. Rates are governed by the City of Tacoma Public Utility Board, not the state UTC.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Tacoma Power Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Tacoma Power C&I rates are set by city ordinance and updated each April. Verified rates below are from the April 1, 2025 electric rate schedules (Ordinance No. 28993). Tacoma Power approved average increases of ~6.75% (2025) and ~6.5% (2026). Commercial rates use energy plus billing-demand charges; larger schedules (CP, NLL, VLL) require power service agreements with progressively lower energy rates.
Effective: April 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule B - Small General Service | commercial | Small commercial / general service customers. | Energy $0.044616/kWh (measured) plus $0.040384/kWh delivered; customer charge $35.05/month (metered). No demand charge. (Eff. Apr 1, 2025.) | — |
| Schedule G - General Service | commercial | General commercial service with demand metering. | Energy $0.058014/kWh; billing demand $10.37/kW; customer charge $82.80/month. (Eff. Apr 1, 2025.) | — |
| Schedule HVG - High Voltage General Service | industrial | Large customers taking service at high (transmission/primary) voltage. | Energy $0.045729/kWh; billing demand $6.45/kW; lower energy rate reflects customer-owned transformation. (Eff. Apr 1, 2025.) | — |
| Schedule CP - Contract Industrial Service | industrial | Large industrial loads under a written Power Service Agreement. | Energy $0.034198/kWh; billing demand $6.22/kW; requires individually negotiated contract. (Eff. Apr 1, 2025.) | — |
| Schedule NLL - New Large Load Service (under 10 aMW) | industrial | New large loads under 10 average megawatts. | Energy $0.039328/kWh; billing demand $7.15/kW. (Eff. Apr 1, 2025.) | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial building (office, retail, light industrial)
Take service on Schedule G and focus on demand management to control the $10.37/kW billing-demand charge.
Schedule G is the standard demand-metered commercial rate; energy is $0.058014/kWh plus an $82.80 monthly customer charge.
- Track peak kW in MyAccount and stagger large equipment startups
- Enroll in Portfolio Manager for benchmarking and compliance
- Evaluate HVG eligibility if you can take higher-voltage service
Large facility able to take primary/high voltage
Move to Schedule HVG to cut the energy rate to $0.045729/kWh with a lower $6.45/kW demand charge.
Customers who own transformation and take high-voltage service get materially lower energy and demand rates than Schedule G.
- Confirm metering and transformation requirements with the Business Solutions Office
- Model the trade-off between transformer O&M and rate savings
Large industrial load under contract
Negotiate a Schedule CP power service agreement for the lowest energy rate ($0.034198/kWh).
CP offers the lowest published energy rate and a $6.22/kW demand charge, but requires a written Power Service Agreement and eligibility (e.g. migration history).
- Engage Business Solutions early to confirm eligibility
- Pair the contract with demand management for maximum savings
Multi-site portfolio / sustainability team
Standardize on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for automated monthly data and Washington Clean Buildings Law compliance.
With no Green Button or API, ESPM is the only automated data channel for ongoing benchmarking across sites.
- Complete the TPU MyConsumption intake form per meter
- Verify monthly uploads and renew the connection annually
Historical Rate Trends
Tacoma Power rates are reviewed each biennium and adjusted by ordinance, typically effective April 1. The Public Utility Board approved increases for the 2025-2026 biennium.
April 1, 2025
Average power rate increase for the 2025 portion of the 2025-2026 biennium (Ordinance No. 28993).
+6.75%April 1, 2026
Scheduled average power rate increase for 2026 under the approved biennial plan.
+6.5%Overall trend: Rising modestly to keep pace with power supply and capital costs, while remaining among the lowest in the US.
Next expected change: April 1, 2026 (~6.5% average increase per the approved biennial plan).
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Tacoma Power's commercial schedules carry meaningful demand charges, the biggest C&I savings come from demand management and voltage-level optimization rather than supplier shopping (which is unavailable).
Voltage-level optimization
For: Large commercial and industrial facilities
Evaluate moving from Schedule G to HVG or CP by taking service at higher/primary voltage, which lowers the energy rate substantially (e.g. $0.058/kWh to ~$0.034-0.046/kWh).
Demand (kW) management
For: Demand-metered C&I accounts
Flatten peak demand to reduce billing-demand charges of $6.22-$10.37/kW depending on schedule, using load scheduling, staging, or storage.
Benchmark with Portfolio Manager
For: Commercial buildings
Use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager integration to track EUI and identify efficiency opportunities and Clean Buildings Law compliance gaps.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Tacoma Power interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tacoma Power support Green Button data download for commercial accounts?▾
No. Despite full AMI deployment, Tacoma Power does not offer Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data. C&I customers should use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for automated monthly data sharing, or request interval exports from Customer Service at 253-502-8600.
How can a C&I customer get automated, ongoing usage data into a benchmarking or analytics platform?▾
Enroll the property in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and complete the TPU MyConsumption intake form to receive a custom meter ID. TPU then uploads monthly consumption automatically. There is no general developer API.
Is there an EDI / trading-partner program for large accounts?▾
No formal EDI program is documented. Large customers and aggregators should contact the Business Solutions Office (253-502-8606) to discuss scheduled bulk exports or custom data arrangements.
Can a third-party energy consultant access my account data?▾
Yes, with your authorization. You can delegate MyAccount access or sign a written authorization so TPU releases a historical data package (typically within 5-10 business days). Washington law (RCW 19.29A) requires prior written consent before third-party access.
What interval granularity is actually available for analysis?▾
AMI meters read about 24 times per day, but the self-service portal exposes daily usage and trends rather than raw 15-minute or hourly exports. For granular interval data, submit a request to Customer Service or use ESPM for monthly benchmarking.
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