Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative (WSTE) is a member-owned, nonprofit electric cooperative serving roughly 55,600 accounts across three Louisiana parishes. WSTE runs on the NISC iVUE platform and offers the SmartHub portal with Green Button (ESPI) usage downloads for member and authorized third-party data access.
Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial Service | commercial | Facility charge + energy $/kWh (figures not published online) | Small offices, retail, and shops |
| Large Power Service - Commercial (LP-3) | commercial | Customer + demand $/kW + energy $/kWh (figures not published online) | Mid-size commercial with demand load |
| Large Power Service - High Load Factor | industrial | Demand + energy charges favoring high load factor | Industrial / steady high-utilization loads |
Market Overview
WSTE is a member-owned, nonprofit cooperative regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. It purchases 100% of its power at wholesale (primarily via 1803 Electric Cooperative) and resells to members at board-approved rates. There is no competitive retail supplier market in its territory.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
WSTE publishes its commercial and industrial rate schedules as PDFs on its rate schedules page but does not post specific per-kWh or demand $ figures online; exact pricing must be confirmed via the tariff PDFs, the LPSC formula rate plan filing, or direct contact. WSTE's average bundled residential rate is roughly 10.87 cents/kWh (well below the national average). C&I rates are subject to a monthly Power Cost Adjustment and Fuel Cost Adjustment that pass through wholesale power costs. The schedules below reflect WSTE's published C&I structure.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial Service - Single Phase | commercial | Small single-phase commercial accounts (lighting, small offices, small retail). | Monthly customer/facility charge plus energy charge per kWh; subject to Power Cost Adjustment and Fuel Cost Adjustment riders. Specific $ figures not published online — see tariff PDF. | — |
| Small Commercial Service - Three Phase | commercial | Small three-phase commercial accounts with modest motor/equipment load. | Monthly customer/facility charge plus energy charge per kWh; subject to PCA/FCA riders. Specific $ figures not published online — see tariff PDF. | — |
| Large Power Service - Commercial (LP-3) | commercial | Larger commercial accounts above the small-commercial demand threshold. | Monthly customer charge, demand charge per kW of billing demand, and energy charge per kWh; subject to PCA/FCA riders and the Rider to Rate LP-3. Specific $ figures not published online — see tariff PDF. | — |
| Large Power Service - High Load Factor | industrial | Industrial / large commercial accounts with high, steady load factor. | Demand and energy charges structured to reward high load factor; subject to PCA/FCA riders. Specific $ figures not published online — see tariff PDF. | — |
| Distributed Generation Facilities Rider | commercial | C&I accounts with on-site renewable generation taking net metering. | Rider applied to the underlying commercial schedule governing net-metered generation credits. See tariff PDF for terms. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial building on Large Power Service
Buildings billed on LP-3 should focus on demand management since the per-kW demand charge is a large share of the bill.
Demand charges scale with coincident peak kW; flattening the load profile lowers the demand component.
- Pull Green Button interval data to find peak windows
- Stagger HVAC and equipment startups
- Confirm exact demand $/kW in the LP-3 tariff PDF
Industrial site with high, steady load
High utilization facilities should evaluate the High Load Factor schedule, which is designed to reward steady consumption.
Steady, high load factor operations get more favorable demand/energy treatment under this schedule.
- Compare LP-3 vs High Load Factor using your interval data
- Verify qualification thresholds in the tariff PDF
- Maintain a high, stable load factor to maximize benefit
Small commercial / retail account
Small offices and shops should confirm single- vs three-phase service and watch the monthly PCA/FCA riders.
Small accounts are billed mainly on a facility charge plus energy; the PCA/FCA pass-through drives most variability.
- Match phase to your actual service
- Track the PCA/FCA line items each month
- Use SmartHub usage trends to spot anomalies
C&I member needing data for an energy consultant
Since WSTE has no API or CMD, plan for customer-mediated Green Button data sharing.
Green Button DMD provides up to 14 months of ESPI XML the member can hand to a consultant.
- Download Green Button XML from SmartHub My Usage
- Share the XML file securely with your consultant
- Re-download periodically since there is no live feed
Historical Rate Trends
WSTE adjusts rates primarily through its LPSC-approved Formula Rate Plan and monthly Power Cost / Fuel Cost Adjustment riders rather than through publicized scheduled base-rate cases. As a 100% wholesale purchaser, its retail rates track wholesale power costs from its supplier (1803 Electric Cooperative).
January 1, 2026
Ongoing monthly Power Cost Adjustment and Fuel Cost Adjustment riders pass through wholesale power costs; exact magnitude varies by month and is not published as a single percentage.
Varies (PCA/FCA pass-through)Overall trend: Bundled rates have remained well below the national average (~10.87 cents/kWh residential); month-to-month variability is driven mainly by the PCA/FCA pass-through.
Next expected change: Governed by the Formula Rate Plan and monthly PCA/FCA adjustments; no specific dated base-rate change published.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For WSTE C&I members, the biggest levers are managing billing demand (kW) on Large Power schedules, choosing the right schedule for load factor, and using Green Button interval data to find peaks and verify the PCA/FCA pass-through.
Reduce peak demand (kW)
For: Large Power Service - Commercial (LP-3) and High Load Factor accounts
On Large Power Service the demand charge per kW can dominate the bill. Stagger equipment startups and shave coincident peaks to lower billing demand.
Match schedule to load factor
For: Industrial / steady-load commercial accounts
High, steady consumers may qualify for the High Load Factor schedule, which rewards consistent utilization. Confirm the best fit via the tariff PDFs.
Use Green Button data to monitor PCA/FCA and peaks
For: All C&I members
Export 14 months of interval data via Green Button DMD to identify peak windows and validate the monthly Power Cost / Fuel Cost Adjustment line items against usage.
On-site generation / net metering
For: C&I sites suitable for on-site renewables
Members with solar can offset energy charges under the Distributed Generation Facilities Rider, reducing net kWh billed.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my energy consultant pull WSTE usage data directly via API?▾
No. WSTE does not offer a public API or Green Button Connect My Data (OAuth). The supported path is customer-mediated: the member downloads a Green Button ESPI XML file (up to 14 months) from SmartHub and shares it with the consultant, who imports it into a compatible analysis tool.
What interval granularity is available for a commercial account?▾
WSTE's AMI meters report roughly 15-30 minute interval data in SmartHub, with up to 14 months exportable via Green Button DMD. There is no real-time streaming feed for third parties.
How does a third party get authorized for billing data?▾
The member signs an authorization letter naming the third party, which is submitted to the WSTE Billing Supervisor. WSTE may then provide historical billing data by email or mail after verification. Processing time is variable; there is no self-service portal.
Can WSTE commercial customers choose a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. WSTE is a member-owned cooperative in vertically integrated, LPSC-regulated Louisiana. There is no retail supplier choice; C&I members take service under WSTE's published rate schedules.
Is EDI available for large commercial accounts?▾
No documented EDI program exists for retail suppliers or consultants. For any future automated exchange, contact the WSTE IT Supervisor; any solution would be coordinated through NISC and would likely use ANSI X12.
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