Appalachian Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Appalachian Electric Cooperative (AEC) is a member-owned TVA distributor serving roughly 51,000 electric accounts across five East Tennessee counties. It runs the NISC SmartHub portal with Green Button Download My Data and a full Tantalus TUNet AMI network delivering 15-minute interval data.
Appalachian Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSA Part 1 | Commercial | $0.12945/kWh + $29.00-$75.90 base | Small commercial under 50 kW |
| GSA Part 2 | Commercial/Industrial | $0.13001/$0.07797 per kWh + $15.84/kW demand over 50 kW | Mid-size C&I 50-1,000 kW |
| GSA Part 3 | Industrial | $0.07632/kWh + $14.68-$16.69/kW demand | Large industrial 1,000-5,000 kW (manufacturing credits apply) |
| EVC | EV | $0.27539/kWh + $100 base | EV charging stations |
Market Overview
AEC is a member-owned electric cooperative and a Tennessee Valley Authority power distributor. It buys wholesale power from TVA and resells it at retail rates derived from TVA distributor rate schedules and approved by the AEC board. There is no retail electric choice for any customer class.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Appalachian Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
AEC's C&I rates follow the TVA distributor structure. The General Power Schedule GSA has three parts by demand size, each combining a base customer charge, an energy charge, and (for larger accounts) a demand charge in $/kW. Energy charges shown include the TVA Seasonal adder and Fuel Cost Adjustment. Figures below are from AEC's published March 2025 winter rate schedule; a 3% increase took effect October 1, 2025.
Effective: March 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Power GSA Part 1 (< 50 kW and 15,000 kWh) | commercial | Small commercial / non-residential accounts under 50 kW and 15,000 kWh per month. | Base customer charge $29.00 (single-phase self-contained) up to $75.90 (three-phase transformer-rated); energy charge $0.12945/kWh all-in (includes TVA seasonal adder and FCA). Verified from March 2025 schedule. | — |
| General Power GSA Part 2 (50-1,000 kW) | commercial | Mid-size commercial/industrial accounts over 50 kW or 15,000 kWh but under 1,000 kW. | Base charge $41.30-$101.00 by metering type; energy $0.13001/kWh first 15,000 kWh then $0.07797/kWh additional; demand charge $15.84/kW over the first 50 kW (no charge on first 50 kW). Verified from March 2025 schedule. | — |
| General Power GSA Part 3 (1,000-5,000 kW) | industrial | Large industrial accounts over 1,000 kW but under 5,000 kW. | Base charge $304.60/month; energy $0.07632/kWh all-in; demand $14.68/kW first 1,000 kW, $16.69/kW above. Manufacturing Credit Agreement credits: $0.01076/kWh, $1.38/kW first 1,000 kW, $1.63/kW over 1,000 kW. Verified from March 2025 schedule. | — |
| EV Charging Schedule EVC | ev | Electric vehicle charging service. | Base customer charge $100.00/month; energy $0.27539/kWh all-in (includes FCA). Verified from March 2025 schedule. | — |
| Outdoor / Street & Athletic Lighting Schedule LS | commercial | Street, traffic, athletic field, and outdoor lighting for commercial/governmental customers. | Base charge $29.00/month; energy $0.08387/kWh all-in plus per-fixture facility charges. Verified from March 2025 schedule. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (50-1,000 kW)
Office, retail, or light-industrial sites on GSA Part 2 where the $15.84/kW demand charge over 50 kW is the main cost lever.
Demand charges scale directly with peak kW; shaving peaks yields the fastest savings.
- Pull monthly Green Button 15-minute data to find peak intervals
- Stagger large equipment startups to limit coincident demand
- Target the declining energy block above 15,000 kWh
Large manufacturer (1,000-5,000 kW)
Industrial plant on GSA Part 3 with SIC 20-39 manufacturing activity.
Lower energy rate ($0.07632/kWh) plus Manufacturing Credit Agreement credits significantly reduce blended cost for high-load-factor plants.
- Confirm enrollment in the Manufacturing Credit Agreement
- Manage demand across the $14.68 vs $16.69/kW blocks
- Use interval data to improve load factor
Small business under 50 kW
Small commercial accounts on GSA Part 1 with no demand charge.
Bills are driven by the flat $0.12945/kWh energy charge and fixed base charge, so energy efficiency is the primary lever.
- Focus on lighting and HVAC efficiency
- Monitor monthly usage in SmartHub
- Confirm correct metering-based base charge
Fleet / EV charging operator
Sites operating EV charging under Schedule EVC.
EVC has a high $0.27539/kWh energy charge, so charge scheduling and on-site management materially affect cost.
- Schedule charging to manage throughput
- Compare EVC against GSA for mixed-use sites
- Track session-level kWh via interval data
Historical Rate Trends
AEC retail rates track TVA wholesale pricing plus board-approved local adjustments. A general rate increase took effect October 1, 2025.
October 1, 2025
General rate increase: ~$3 increase to base charge plus ~$0.00155/kWh energy increase, a roughly 3% overall rise.
+3%Overall trend: Gradually increasing in line with TVA wholesale costs.
Next expected change: Future changes follow TVA wholesale adjustments and AEC board decisions; the seasonal adder and FCA vary monthly.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because demand charges drive C&I bills above 50 kW, the highest-value strategies for AEC commercial and industrial customers focus on peak demand reduction and load shifting using the available 15-minute interval data.
Peak demand management
For: GSA Part 2 and Part 3 (over 50 kW)
Use 15-minute Green Button interval data to identify and shave monthly demand peaks; the $15.84/kW (GSA Part 2) charge applies to billed kW over 50 kW.
Manufacturing Credit Agreement
For: GSA Part 3 manufacturing accounts
Qualifying manufacturers over 1,000 kW (SIC 20-39) should ensure they receive TVA Manufacturing Credit Agreement credits of $0.01076/kWh plus $1.38-$1.63/kW.
Load shifting on declining-block energy
For: GSA Part 2
Above 15,000 kWh, energy drops from $0.13001 to $0.07797/kWh (Part 2); maximizing throughput above the block lowers blended energy cost.
Interval-data monitoring
For: All C&I accounts
Export 15-minute Green Button data monthly to track load factor and validate demand-charge billing against TVA seasonal/FCA adjustments.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Appalachian Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my energy consultant get my AEC interval data directly?▾
There is no official third-party API. The standard path is for the C&I customer to download a Green Button XML export (up to 14 months of 15-minute data) from SmartHub's My Usage tab and share it with the consultant. Direct integration can be discussed with AEC business services.
What interval granularity is available for commercial accounts?▾
AEC's Tantalus TUNet AMI provides 15-minute interval reads across the territory, exportable via Green Button as ESPI XML.
Does AEC support EDI for billing or usage (810/867)?▾
No. AEC does not publish an EDI program. Business customers needing structured data should use Green Button XML or contact business services for custom arrangements.
How far back does interval data go?▾
Green Button Download My Data provides up to 14 months of historical 15-minute interval usage.
Can C&I customers shop for a different electricity supplier?▾
No. AEC is a member-owned TVA distributor in a regulated market with no retail choice. Power is purchased wholesale from TVA and sold at board-approved rates.
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