Wake Electric Membership Corporation Rate Selection Guide
Wake Electric Membership Corporation (Wake EMC) is a member-owned rural electric cooperative serving 56,000+ members across seven counties around Raleigh, NC. It was the first utility in North Carolina to offer Green Button data downloads (2013) and provides full self-service billing and interval data through its SmartHub portal, though it lacks automated third-party (Connect My Data / API / EDI) access.
Wake Electric Membership Corporation Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service (SGS) | commercial | $29/$48 facilities + $7.35/kW (>25 kW) + 12.45 to 10.0 cents/kWh tiered | Small commercial accounts at or below 50 kW demand |
| Small General TOU (SGS-TOU) | commercial | $31/$52 facilities + $13.75 on-peak/$1.75 off-peak per kW + 7.48 cents/kWh | Sub-50 kW accounts that can shift load off the on-peak window |
| Large General Service (LGS) | industrial | $110 facilities + $1.65/$4.95 per kW tiered demand + 11.34 to 6.98 cents/kWh tiered | Larger C&I accounts above 50 kW with steady load |
| Large General TOU (LGS-TOU) | industrial | $115 facilities + $15.75 on-peak/$1.75 off-peak per kW + 5.71/4.50 cents/kWh | Above-50 kW accounts that can shift demand and energy off-peak |
| Large General Coincident Peak (LGS-CP) | industrial | $115 facilities + $15.30 coincident/$2.74 noncoincident per kW + 6.11 cents/kWh | Flexible loads able to curtail 50+ kW during cooperative load-control events |
Market Overview
North Carolina is a regulated electricity market. Wake EMC is a member-owned distribution cooperative whose rates are set by its board and reviewed by the NCUC (Docket EC 47). C&I members take bundled service and cannot select a competitive retail supplier.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Wake Electric Membership Corporation Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Wake EMC commercial and industrial rates are set in its NCUC-filed rate schedule (Docket EC 47, Sub 57), effective January 1, 2025. C&I service tiers by size: Small General Service (SGS, demand 50 kW or less) and Large General Service (LGS, demand over 50 kW), each with optional time-of-use (TOU) and, for LGS, a coincident-peak (CP) load-management variant. All values below are verified from the filed tariff.
Effective: January 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service (SGS) | commercial | All non-residential service where measured demand is 50 kW or less (excludes seasonal accounts). Transfers to LGS if demand exceeds 50 kW for three consecutive months. | Monthly Facilities Charge $29.00 single-phase / $48.00 three-phase. Demand: $0.00/kW for 0-25 kW, $7.35/kW over 25 kW. Energy: 12.450 cents/kWh first 1,000 kWh, 11.250 cents/kWh next 2,500 kWh, 10.000 cents/kWh over 3,500 kWh. | — |
| Small General Time-of-Use Service (SGS-TOU) | commercial | Voluntary; non-residential service with measured demand 50 kW or less. | Monthly Facilities Charge $31.00 single-phase / $52.00 three-phase. Demand: on-peak $13.75/kW, off-peak $1.75/kW. Energy: 7.48 cents/kWh (all kWh). On-peak Oct 16-Apr 30 06:00-10:00 and May 1-Oct 15 15:00-20:00 weekdays. | — |
| Large General Service (LGS) | industrial | All non-residential service with measured demand in excess of 50 kW (not available to bulk tobacco barns). | Monthly Facilities Charge $110.00. Demand: $1.65/kW first 50 kW, $4.95/kW over 50 kW. Energy: 11.34 cents/kWh first 4,500 kWh, 7.50 cents/kWh next 12,000 kWh, 6.98 cents/kWh over 16,500 kWh. Power-factor adjustment applies below 95%. | — |
| Large General Time-of-Use Service (LGS-TOU) | industrial | Non-residential service with measured demand over 50 kW; voluntary, not available to seasonal accounts. | Monthly Facilities Charge $115.00. Demand: on-peak $15.75/kW, off-peak $1.75/kW. Energy: on-peak 5.71 cents/kWh, off-peak 4.50 cents/kWh. Power-factor adjustment applies below 95%. | — |
| Large General Coincident Peak TOU Service (LGS-CP) | industrial | Year-round non-residential members able to shed at least 50 kW on the cooperative's load-control signal. | Monthly Facilities Charge $115.00. Demand: coincident-peak $15.30/kW, noncoincident $2.74/kW. Energy: 6.11 cents/kWh (all kWh). Coincident peak set during the cooperative's wholesale-peak load-control windows. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial site (under 50 kW)
Sub-50 kW C&I accounts default to SGS; the declining-block energy charge and modest demand block keep bills simple.
SGS has no demand charge below 25 kW; if load is shiftable, SGS-TOU's 7.48 cents/kWh flat energy can beat SGS's tiered energy.
- Track demand to stay under 50 kW (3 consecutive months above triggers a move to LGS)
- Evaluate SGS-TOU if you can shift load off on-peak windows
Mid-to-large commercial / industrial (over 50 kW)
Accounts above 50 kW take LGS, where demand charges and power factor dominate the bill.
LGS's $4.95/kW over-50 demand block plus declining-block energy make demand management and PF correction the top savings levers; LGS-TOU helps if load is shiftable.
- Pull Green Button 15-minute data to find peak intervals
- Correct power factor to >=95% to avoid demand penalties
- Model LGS vs LGS-TOU using your load shape
Flexible large load with curtailment capability
Operations that can curtail 50+ kW on signal should evaluate the coincident-peak schedule.
LGS-CP bills most demand at the lower $2.74/kW noncoincident rate when you respond to load-control signals, while energy is a flat 6.11 cents/kWh.
- Confirm you can reliably shed 50+ kW on signal
- Automate response to the cooperative's load-control windows
- Compare LGS-CP against LGS-TOU for your specific peak profile
Energy consultants & data aggregators
Wake EMC has no automated third-party data feed; build workflows around member-mediated Green Button file sharing.
No Connect My Data, API, or EDI exists, so consultants should have members download Green Button XML and share files, or negotiate a custom export with the cooperative.
- Have the member download Green Button XML monthly from SmartHub
- Never ask for member login credentials; request the exported file
- For ongoing feeds, contact Wake EMC engineering about a custom arrangement
Historical Rate Trends
Wake EMC adjusts rates through NCUC Docket EC 47 filings. The current C&I energy and demand charges took effect January 1, 2025 (Sub 57). The cooperative also adjusted residential facility charges in late 2024 and announced a residential rate adjustment in late 2025.
January 1, 2025
C&I rate schedules (SGS, SGS-TOU, LGS, LGS-TOU, LGS-CP) updated under Docket EC 47, Sub 57.
n/aNovember 1, 2024
Wake Electric announced a facility (monthly) charge adjustment.
n/aOverall trend: Periodic modest adjustments tracking wholesale power cost and facility cost; C&I energy and demand updated effective January 1, 2025.
Next expected change: Future adjustments are filed annually via NCUC Docket EC 47; monitor Wake EMC rate announcements for the next C&I update.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because demand charges drive Wake EMC C&I bills above 50 kW, the largest savings levers are demand management, schedule selection, and power-factor correction. AMI 15-minute data via Green Button makes peak analysis straightforward.
Demand peak shaving
For: LGS, SGS accounts above 25-50 kW
Use SmartHub hourly data and Green Button 15-minute exports to identify and flatten monthly demand peaks, lowering the over-50-kW demand block ($4.95/kW on LGS).
Time-of-use load shifting
For: Accounts with shiftable load (HVAC pre-cooling, batch processes)
Move discretionary load off the on-peak windows under SGS-TOU or LGS-TOU to capture lower off-peak energy (4.50 cents/kWh) and the $1.75/kW off-peak demand rate.
Coincident-peak curtailment (LGS-CP)
For: Large accounts with curtailable load and on-site flexibility
Qualify for LGS-CP and shed 50+ kW on the cooperative's load-control signal to be billed mostly on the lower noncoincident demand rate ($2.74/kW) instead of the full coincident peak.
Power-factor correction
For: LGS / LGS-TOU / LGS-CP accounts with inductive load
Maintain power factor at or above 95% to avoid the demand-billing adjustment that multiplies billed demand by 95% divided by measured PF on accounts 50 kW and above.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Wake Electric Membership Corporation interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a commercial customer get interval (15-minute) data from Wake EMC?▾
Through SmartHub's Green Button download. Daily and hourly usage is shown directly in the My Usage tab, while raw 15-minute interval data is delivered in the ESPI/XML file you export via Green Button (13 months of history). There is no API or automated feed.
Can an energy consultant or aggregator pull our usage data automatically?▾
No. Wake EMC does not offer Green Button Connect My Data, a developer API, or EDI. Consultants receive data only when the member downloads Green Button XML or bill exports and shares the files directly. Custom arrangements can be requested from the cooperative but are evaluated case-by-case.
Which rate schedule applies to a commercial account over 50 kW?▾
Large General Service (LGS). It carries a $110 monthly facilities charge, tiered demand ($1.65/kW for the first 50 kW and $4.95/kW above 50 kW), and declining-block energy (11.34, 7.50, and 6.98 cents/kWh). Voluntary LGS-TOU and LGS-CP variants are available for flexible loads.
Does Wake EMC charge a power-factor penalty?▾
Yes. On accounts of 50 kW or more, if measured power factor is below 95%, billed demand is the metered demand multiplied by 95% divided by the measured power factor. Maintaining PF at or above 95% avoids this adjustment.
How can a C&I customer lower demand charges?▾
Use AMI/Green Button data to flatten monthly peaks, consider TOU schedules to shift load off on-peak windows, qualify for LGS-CP curtailment to be billed mostly on the lower noncoincident demand rate, and correct power factor to at least 95%.
Can our commercial members shop for a different electricity supplier?▾
No. North Carolina is a regulated market with no retail choice for cooperative members. Wake EMC provides bundled distribution and supply; rates are set by its board and reviewed by the NC Utilities Commission under Docket EC 47.
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