Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Data Access Guide
Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County (Cowlitz PUD) is a consumer-owned public power utility serving ~53,716 electric customers in southwest Washington. Backed by low-cost Bonneville hydropower, it offers some of the nation's lowest industrial rates and serves several large primary- and transmission-voltage industrial loads. Customer data is available through the SmartHub portal with Green Button Download.
How to Get Your Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Data: All Access Methods
| Method | 1st Party | 3rd Party | Customer Types | Data Types | Latency | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmartHub Web/Mobile Portal | ✓ | — | Residential, Commercial, Industrial | Bills, payment history, near-real-time usage | Near-real-time usage; monthly bills | PDF, web display |
| Green Button Download My Data (DMD) | ✓ | — | All registered customers | Interval usage (ESPI) | Up to 14 months historical | XML (ESPI), ZIP |
| Manual written authorization | — | ✓ | Any (with consent) | Billing / usage per arrangement | Case-by-case | PDF / portal access |
| Green Button Connect (CMD) | — | — | N/A | N/A | Not available | N/A |
| EDI / Official API | — | — | N/A | N/A | Not available | N/A |
Billing Data Access
Cowlitz PUD provides billing access through the SmartHub customer portal (web and mobile, powered by NISC). Customers can view current and historical bills, payment history, and account details, and can enroll in paperless eBill.
What Data Is on Your Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Bill
- Current bill amount and due date
- 12+ months of billing history (monthly PDF bills)
- Payment history
- Account information (service address, account number, rate schedule)
- Budget Billing history (if enrolled)
- Billing-month consumption totals
How to Download Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Bills (Business & Commercial)
- 01Register the business account in SmartHub using the account number and authorized contact email
- 02Log in and open the billing/account dashboard
- 03Download monthly PDF bills for each metered service point
- 04For multi-site portfolios, repeat per account or contact Customer Service at (360) 423-2210 to consolidate access
- 05For third-party access, provide signed written authorization per WAC 480-100-153 and coordinate with Customer Service
How to Download Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Bills (Residential)
- 01Visit https://cowlitzpud.smarthub.coop or download the SmartHub mobile app
- 02Click Register / Sign Up
- 03Enter your 7-digit account number from your paper bill
- 04Enter your last name and email address
- 05Create a password and security question, accept terms
- 06Log in to view billing data and history
Third-Party Access to Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Billing Data
Customer-shared PDF bills
- 01Customer downloads monthly PDF bills from SmartHub
- 02Customer forwards bills to the authorized third party
- 03Third party imports/keys data into its platform
Manual written authorization
- 01Customer signs a written authorization or power of attorney specifying data scope and purpose
- 02Third party contacts Cowlitz PUD Customer Service at (360) 423-2210 with the account number and authorization
- 03PUD verifies authorization per WAC 480-100-153
- 04PUD establishes a data-sharing arrangement on a case-by-case basis
Want to understand the charges on your bill?
See the Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Rate Schedules & Tariff Guide →Interval Data & Smart Meters
Cowlitz PUD has deployed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) across its territory. Customers can view near-real-time usage in SmartHub and export interval data via Green Button Download My Data (DMD).
How to Download Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Interval Data via Green Button
- 01Log into SmartHub at https://cowlitzpud.smarthub.coop
- 02Open the My Usage tab
- 03Locate the Green Button Download My Data button
- 04Select the desired date range (up to 14 months)
- 05Choose report options and click Download Usage Data
- 06Extract the downloaded ZIP to obtain the ESPI XML file
- 07Upload the XML to a Green Button-compatible analysis tool
Interval data is essential for rate comparison and TOU analysis.
See which Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County rate schedule is best for your usage pattern →Third-Party API Access
Cowlitz PUD does not offer an official developer API, Share My Data portal, or aggregator program. A reverse-engineered, unofficial NISC SmartHub JSON API exists and is used by community projects, but it requires customer credentials, is unsupported, and likely violates SmartHub terms of service — not recommended for commercial or production use. Third parties should rely on customer-shared Green Button files or manual written authorization.
How to Register as a Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County API Vendor
- 01Obtain signed written customer authorization (scope + purpose) per WAC 480-100-153
- 02Contact Cowlitz PUD Customer Service at (360) 423-2210
- 03Submit authorization and request data-sharing arrangement
- 04Alternatively, have the customer export Green Button DMD and share the XML file directly
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
How to Enroll in Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County EDI
- 01Contact Cowlitz PUD Customer Service at (360) 423-2210 to inquire about any B2B/EDI capability
- 02Request EDI specifications or trading-partner process (none currently documented)
Sources
Rate Schedules & Tariff Analysis
Cowlitz PUD's C&I rates are unusually low thanks to BPA hydropower, with energy charges in the ~$0.047–$0.057/kWh range. The key strategic choice for large loads is delivery voltage: taking service at transmission voltage (Schedule 9) cuts the demand charge to $4.15/kW (vs. $9.26/kW on Schedule 8 primary) and lowers energy to $0.0475/kWh, at the cost of a higher daily basic charge ($16.44 vs. $9.37) and the need to own/operate higher-voltage equipment. Demand management is the largest lever on monthly bills.
Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Rate Schedule List
| Schedule | Applicability |
|---|---|
| General Service Schedule 5 | C&I under 1,000 kW (secondary voltage). |
| Schedule 8 — Large Industrial Primary | Industrial over 1,000 kW at primary voltage. |
| Schedule 9 — Large Commercial Transmission | Large loads over 1,000 kW at transmission voltage. |
Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Rate Features & TOU Details
- BPA hydropower-backed, low energy charges
- Demand charge ($/kW) is the dominant variable cost for large loads
- Voltage level drives schedule selection (primary vs. transmission)
- Daily basic charges scale with service size
- Rates set by elected PUD board (no UTC general rate case)
For a deeper analysis including cost optimization strategies and historical rate trends:
Read the full Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Rate Optimization Guide →Other Data Access Programs
Public Records Request
Under the Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), customers and third parties may request public records from Cowlitz PUD; customer-specific data is limited to aggregate/de-identified records or the customer's own data with authorization.
- 01Complete the Public Records Request form
- 02Submit to Cowlitz PUD
- 03Await response (some data redacted under privacy exemptions)
Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency
Cowlitz PUD offers BPA-funded commercial and industrial efficiency programs and incentives for qualifying upgrades, which can lower demand and energy charges for C&I customers.
- 01Review commercial/industrial efficiency program pages
- 02Contact the PUD efficiency team to scope a project
- 03Apply for incentives tied to qualifying measures
Limitations & Considerations
- ⚠No Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) — no automated third-party authorization.
- ⚠No official developer API or Share My Data portal; Nectar provides API access to this utility's billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
- ⚠No documented EDI (ANSI X12) support.
- ⚠Third-party access requires manual, case-by-case written authorization under WAC 480-100-153.
- ⚠Officially documented interval export granularity is not specified (15-minute available only via unofficial NISC API).
Public Utility District No. 1 of Cowlitz County Data Access FAQ
How does a large industrial customer at Cowlitz PUD get interval data for energy management?▾
Use SmartHub's My Usage tab and the Green Button Download My Data button to export up to 14 months of usage as ESPI XML. There is no automated Connect My Data (CMD) feed, so ongoing third-party access typically means the customer exports Green Button files on a schedule and shares them, or grants written authorization for the PUD to provide data directly.
Which rate schedule applies to a large C&I site?▾
Loads expected to require less than 1,000 kW of billing demand take General Service Schedule 5. Loads over 1,000 kW take Schedule 8 (Large Industrial, primary voltage) or Schedule 9 (Large Commercial, transmission voltage), depending on delivery voltage. All are bundled rates set by the PUD board.
Can a third-party energy manager access our data through an API?▾
Not officially. Cowlitz PUD has no developer API, Share My Data portal, or aggregator integration. A reverse-engineered NISC SmartHub API exists but is unsupported and likely violates terms of service. Use customer-shared Green Button exports or a written authorization arrangement instead.
Does Cowlitz PUD support EDI for billing or meter data?▾
No EDI program is documented. As a consumer-owned PUD not regulated like an IOU, Cowlitz PUD has not published ANSI X12 transaction support. Contact Customer Service at (360) 423-2210 for any B2B data needs.
How current are the published C&I rates?▾
The current rate schedules took effect October 1, 2025 (adopted by PUD board resolution). Schedule 8 is $9.37/day basic, $9.26/kW demand, and $0.0542/kWh energy; Schedule 9 is $16.44/day basic, $4.15/kW demand, and $0.0475/kWh energy.
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