Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Data Access Guide
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU) is an investor-owned electric and natural gas utility serving roughly 435,000 customers across Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Data access is form-based and manual — there is no Green Button, public API, or EDI support — so C&I energy teams should plan for portal review plus written authorization workflows.
How to Get Your Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Data: All Access Methods
| Method | 1st Party | 3rd Party | Customer Types | Data Types | Latency | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online billing portal | ✓ | ✓ | Residential, Commercial, Industrial | Bills, monthly usage | Real-time after bill generation | HTML, PDF |
| Customer's Agent Authorization Form | ✓ | ✓ | All (except interruptible/transportation) | Billing & usage | 5-10 business days | Form-based / PDF |
| Manual interval/load data request | ✓ | ✓ | Commercial, Industrial | Daily reads / load data | 5-15 business days | CSV or text file |
| Demand Response (DRR via CPower) | ✓ | ✓ | C&I electric (MT/ND/SD) | Load/event data | Program-based | CPower platform |
Billing Data Access
MDU provides online billing data through its self-service Online Account Services portal. Customers can view current bills, multi-month history, and monthly usage graphs. PDF bill downloads are available; there is no CSV or structured export. Third-party access requires a signed Customer's Agent Authorization Form.
What Data Is on Your Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Bill
- Current balance and itemized charges
- Basic service charge, energy/gas consumption, demand charges
- Fuel & Purchased Power Adjustment and riders
- Monthly usage history (kWh / Ccf / Therms)
- PDF bill copies
How to Download Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Bills (Business & Commercial)
- 01Register the business account at https://customer.montana-dakota.com and enable MFA
- 02Review itemized C&I charges including demand and rider line items under Billing
- 03Download monthly PDF bills for records (no CSV/bulk export available)
- 04For detailed load or demand history, call Business Services at 800-638-3278
- 05Ask to be connected to your local Industrial Services Manager for custom data
How to Download Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Bills (Residential)
- 01Go to https://customer.montana-dakota.com and click "Not Registered?"
- 02Provide email, choose username/password, and enter your account number
- 03Answer security questions and click the activation link emailed to you
- 04Enable mandatory multi-factor authentication (text or email code)
- 05Log in, open Account Summary / Billing, and view or download PDF bills
Third-Party Access to Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Billing Data
Customer's Agent Authorization Form
- 01Download the Customer's Agent Authorization Form from https://www.montana-dakota.com/customer-service/customer-forms/
- 02Customer completes account details, names the agent, and specifies scope
- 03Customer signs and dates (original signature required)
- 04Mail to Montana-Dakota Utilities, 400 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501
- 05Allow 5-10 business days for verification and activation
Consent to Disclose Utility Energy Usage Information
- 01Download the Consent to Disclose form from the customer-forms page
- 02Customer names the third party and the specific data/date range
- 03Customer signs (valid for one-time disclosure per account)
- 04Third party submits the signed form with the data request
- 05MDU verifies and releases data, typically within 5-10 business days
Want to understand the charges on your bill?
See the Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Rate Schedules & Tariff Guide →Interval Data & Smart Meters
MDU has deployed Itron AMR across roughly 277,000 combined electric and gas meters, providing remote (typically daily) reads for billing. There is no self-service interval download and no Green Button/ESPI support. C&I customers needing detailed load or demand data must request it manually through Business Services, which extracts from the Itron MDM system.
How to Download Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Interval Data via Green Button
- 01Green Button / ESPI is not supported by MDU — no Download My Data or Connect My Data is available.
- 02For detailed data, call Business Services at 800-638-3278 and request interval/load data
- 03Submit a signed Consent to Disclose form for third-party requests
- 04Specify account number, date range, and intended use
- 05Expect CSV or text file by email after 5-15 business days
Interval data is essential for rate comparison and TOU analysis.
See which Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. rate schedule is best for your usage pattern →Sources
Third-Party API Access
MDU does not maintain a public developer API, developer portal, SDK, or real-time data feed. Enterprise and C&I customers are handled through direct relationship management via Business Services and local Industrial Services Managers rather than platform integrations.
How to Register as a Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. API Vendor
- 01Contact Business Services at 800-638-3278
- 02Obtain a signed Customer's Agent Authorization or Consent to Disclose form
- 03Submit a written data request with account, date range, and format (CSV preferred)
- 04Plan for manual, non-recurring delivery (no automated feed)
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
No public EDI support was found. MDU does not advertise ANSI X12 (814, 820, 867, 810) or EDIFACT transactions, trading-partner enrollment, or VAN connectivity. Large industrial customers should contact their local Industrial Services Manager to discuss any custom data-sharing arrangements.
How to Enroll in Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. EDI
Rate Schedules & Tariff Analysis
MDU's North Dakota C&I rate design is demand-driven: a seasonal per-kW demand charge plus a modest energy charge and a fixed basic service charge. Summer demand charges (Jun-Sep) run roughly 30% higher than winter, so peak-demand management is the dominant cost lever. Taking service at primary voltage trades a higher basic/demand charge for a much lower energy charge — attractive for high-load-factor sites that own their transformers.
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Rate Schedule List
| Schedule | Applicability |
|---|---|
| Rate 30 — General Electric Service | ND demand-metered general service, secondary or primary voltage |
| Rate 31 — Optional Time-of-Day Service | ND C&I customers electing time-of-day pricing |
| Rates 55-59 — Adjustment Riders | All ND demand-metered customers |
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Rate Features & TOU Details
- Seasonal demand charges (higher Jun-Sep)
- Billing demand based on max 15-minute demand
- Primary vs. secondary voltage election
- Power factor requirement (90% lagging to 90% leading; excess kvar billed)
- Multiple pass-through riders (Rates 55-59)
For a deeper analysis including cost optimization strategies and historical rate trends:
Read the full Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Rate Optimization Guide →Other Data Access Programs
Demand Response Resources (DRR) Program
For C&I electric customers in MT, ND, and SD, administered by partner CPower. Participants reduce load during peak/high-cost events (typically 10-15 events per power year on a 2021-2027 cycle) and earn revenue.
- 01Confirm eligibility: commercial/industrial electric account in MT, ND, or SD
- 02Call Business Services at 800-638-3278 to request DRR information
- 03Register with CPower, the program administrator
- 04Set up load monitoring/measurement equipment as needed
- 05Respond to event notifications and receive performance-based revenue
Aggregated/Anonymized Energy Data Request
Researchers, government agencies, and consultants can request aggregated, anonymized consumption data. Approval is at MDU's discretion and not guaranteed.
- 01Download the authorization form from the Energy Data Usage Request page
- 02Provide organization details and a clear statement of purpose/use
- 03Mail to MDU Energy Efficiency Department, 400 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501
- 04Allow 15-30 business days for review; approval is discretionary
Limitations & Considerations
- ⚠No Green Button / ESPI (Download My Data or Connect My Data) support
- ⚠No public API, developer portal, or real-time data feed
- ⚠No EDI transaction support
- ⚠No automated or recurring interval-data feed; all detailed data is manual request
- ⚠No CSV/bulk billing export — PDF bills only in the portal
- ⚠Form-based third-party access requires original signatures and 5-15 business day turnaround
- ⚠Sub-hourly 15-minute interval granularity not confirmed available to customers
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Data Access FAQ
Does MDU support Green Button or an API for automated C&I energy data?▾
No. MDU does not offer Green Button Download My Data, Connect My Data, a public API, or EDI. C&I teams should expect manual, form-based data access via the online portal and Business Services. Plan automation around monthly PDF/portal pulls rather than a live feed.
How does a third-party energy manager get authorized to access our MDU data?▾
Have the customer of record sign the Customer's Agent Authorization Form (for ongoing billing access) or the Consent to Disclose form (for a specific one-time data pull). Mail the signed original to MDU in Bismarck and allow 5-10 business days for activation. Note these forms do not apply to interruptible or transportation-rate accounts.
Can we get 15-minute interval data for our commercial meters?▾
Not through self-service. MDU's Itron AMR meters generally provide daily reads. Detailed interval or load data, where available, must be requested manually through Business Services or your local Industrial Services Manager, delivered as CSV/text within roughly 5-15 business days.
What demand-related charges should a C&I customer expect on a North Dakota bill?▾
Demand-metered general service in North Dakota (Rate 30) bills a monthly demand charge that is seasonal — higher in summer (June-September) than winter (October-May) — plus a basic service charge and a per-kWh energy charge, with several adjustment riders. Managing peak 15-minute demand is the primary lever for reducing the bill.
Is there a demand response program our facility can earn revenue from?▾
Yes. MDU's Demand Response Resources (DRR) program, administered by CPower, is open to C&I electric customers in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Participants curtail load during a handful of events per power year and earn performance-based payments. Enroll by calling Business Services at 800-638-3278.
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