Public Utility District No. 1 of Benton County Rate Selection Guide
Benton PUD is a publicly-owned electric utility serving approximately 59,000 customers across the Washington Tri-Cities region. It has deployed AMI smart meters to all customers, offering hourly, daily, and monthly usage data plus Green Button Download My Data through its NISC SmartHub portal.
Public Utility District No. 1 of Benton County Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 21 - Small General Service | Commercial | $0.0622/kWh + $1.45/kW demand + $0.58-$0.86/day | Small businesses under 50 kW demand |
| Schedule 22 - Medium General Service | Commercial | $0.0560/kWh + $1.05/$9.80/kW demand + $1.73/day | Mid-size facilities 50-300 kW |
| Schedule 23 - Large General Service | Commercial | $0.0492/kWh + $1.05/$8.56/kW demand + $2.11/day | Large facilities 300-3,500 kW |
| Schedule 34 - Large Industrial | Industrial | $0.0415/kWh + $9.21/kW demand + $8.14/day | Large industrial 3,500-10,000 kW |
Market Overview
Washington is a regulated, vertically-integrated electricity market. Benton PUD is a consumer-owned public utility district that purchases the majority of its wholesale power from the Bonneville Power Administration and sets retail rates by resolution of its elected Board of Commissioners. There is no retail supplier choice for customers in Benton PUD's service territory.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Public Utility District No. 1 of Benton County Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Benton PUD retail electric rates are set by Board resolution and took effect April 1, 2026 (Resolution No. 2716, an approximately 2.5% increase following BPA wholesale increases). General-service accounts are assigned by measured demand. The figures below are taken from the District's 2026 Retail Electric Rate Schedules.
Effective: April 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 21 - Small General Service | commercial | Commercial, industrial, and public buildings with measured demand less than 50 kW during any calendar year. | Daily system charge $0.58/day (single-phase) or $0.86/day (multi-phase); energy $0.0622/kWh; demand $1.45/kW. Effective April 1, 2026. | — |
| Schedule 22 - Medium General Service | commercial | Commercial/industrial accounts with measured demand greater than 50 kW and less than 300 kW (at least 10 times) in a calendar year. | Daily system charge $1.73/day; energy $0.0560/kWh; demand $1.05/kW first 50 kW plus $9.80/kW above 50 kW; power factor adjustment below 95%. Effective April 1, 2026. | — |
| Schedule 23 - Large General Service | commercial | Commercial/industrial accounts with measured demand at or above 300 kW for at least 3 months, never exceeding 3,500 kW. | Daily system charge $2.11/day; energy $0.0492/kWh; demand $1.05/kW first 50 kW plus $8.56/kW above 50 kW; power factor adjustment below 95%. Effective April 1, 2026. | — |
| Schedule 34 - Large Industrial | industrial | Large industrial loads greater than 3,500 kW and no more than 10,000 kW demand, requiring an approved capacity and energy consumption plan. | Daily system charge $8.14/day; energy $0.0415/kWh; demand $9.21/kW; power factor adjustment below 95%. Effective April 1, 2026. | — |
| Schedule 35 - Large Transient Electricity Intensive Load | industrial | Large electricity-intensive loads (e.g., cryptocurrency mining, HPC) with non-coincidental demand greater than 3,500 kW. | Served at rates determined under a negotiated power sales contract with the District. Effective April 1, 2026. | — |
| Schedule 80 - New Large Single Load | industrial | New large industrial loads greater than 10,000 kW demand. | Served at rates determined under a negotiated power sales contract with the District. Effective April 1, 2026. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (50-300 kW)
Facilities on Schedule 22 face the steepest excess demand charge ($9.80/kW above 50 kW), so demand control is the top priority.
The $9.80/kW excess demand charge means even a 20 kW peak reduction can save nearly $200/month. Energy is a secondary cost at $0.0560/kWh.
- Shave peaks with staggered equipment startup and load controls
- Keep power factor at or above 95% to avoid the adjustment
- Monitor SmartHub hourly data to catch demand spikes
Large commercial / institutional (300-3,500 kW)
Schedule 23 offers a lower energy rate ($0.0492/kWh) and slightly lower excess demand charge ($8.56/kW) than Schedule 22.
As demand grows past 300 kW, Schedule 23's lower energy and demand rates make demand management and power factor correction the largest savings levers.
- Verify the account is correctly assigned to Schedule 23 at annual review
- Invest in power factor correction to avoid surcharges
- Use Green Button data for demand benchmarking
Large industrial load (3,500-10,000 kW)
Schedule 34 carries the lowest energy charge ($0.0415/kWh) but a flat $9.21/kW demand charge and requires an approved capacity plan.
With a flat $9.21/kW demand charge, sustained high load factor and tight peak control determine the effective rate; an approved consumption plan is required before service.
- Submit a District-approved capacity/energy plan before service
- Maintain high load factor to dilute the flat demand charge
- Correct power factor to 95%+ across the campus
Energy manager needing automated data
With no public API, rely on Green Button XML exports and SmartHub hourly data; consider the community downloader for 15-minute data with customer authorization.
Benton PUD has no external API or aggregator partnership, so data automation depends on Green Button exports and customer-authorized requests.
- Export Green Button XML (up to 14 months) for analytics platforms
- Negotiate a written data-sharing agreement for recurring exports
- Use the community SmartHub downloader only with explicit customer authorization
Historical Rate Trends
Benton PUD adjusts retail rates by Board resolution, typically tracking changes in Bonneville Power Administration wholesale and transmission costs.
April 1, 2026
Approximately 2.5% retail rate increase (Resolution No. 2716) following an 8.9% BPA wholesale increase and 19.9% rise in transmission costs.
+2.5%Overall trend: Increasing - driven by BPA wholesale rate increases.
Next expected change: Future adjustments will track BPA wholesale and transmission cost changes; monitor Board resolutions.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because demand charges dominate Benton PUD C&I bills (up to $9.80/kW on Schedule 22 excess demand), the highest-impact strategies focus on peak demand reduction, power factor correction, and confirming correct rate-class assignment.
Peak Demand Management
For: Schedules 22, 23, 34
Stagger large equipment startups and use load controls to lower the monthly 30-minute peak demand that sets the demand charge, especially the high excess-tier rate on Schedules 22 and 23.
Power Factor Correction
For: Schedules 22, 23, 34
Install capacitor banks or correct inductive loads to keep average power factor at or above 95%, eliminating the power factor adjustment that applies when demand exceeds 50 kW.
Rate-Class Verification
For: All C&I accounts
Review annual demand profile against schedule thresholds; right-sizing into Schedule 23 vs 22, for example, lowers the energy charge from $0.0560 to $0.0492/kWh.
Interval Data Monitoring
For: All C&I accounts
Use SmartHub hourly data and Green Button XML exports to identify demand spikes and verify billing against metered demand.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Public Utility District No. 1 of Benton County interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a C&I energy manager pull Benton PUD interval data automatically via API?▾
No. Benton PUD does not publish an external API and has no formal third-party data program. The most automated option is the community-maintained SmartHub downloader, which retrieves 15-minute data using the customer's SmartHub credentials and explicit authorization. Otherwise, use Green Button XML exports or negotiate a manual data-sharing arrangement.
What interval granularity is available for commercial accounts?▾
SmartHub provides hourly, daily, and monthly usage for all metered accounts. Green Button Download My Data exports up to 14 months of interval usage as ESPI XML. 15-minute data exists in the NISC backend but is not available through standard export as of January 2024.
How does a third party get authorized to access our account data?▾
Benton PUD requires written customer authorization (no automated portal). Provide a signed letter with the account number, service address, third-party company, data scope, and duration to (509) 582-2175 or 2721 W 10th Ave., Kennewick, WA 99336. The utility then provides data per request or grants SmartHub access with the customer's permission.
Which rate schedule applies to our commercial or industrial facility?▾
Benton PUD assigns general-service accounts by measured demand: Schedule 21 Small General Service (under 50 kW), Schedule 22 Medium General Service (50-300 kW), Schedule 23 Large General Service (300-3,500 kW), and Schedule 34 Large Industrial (3,500-10,000 kW). Accounts are reviewed annually and reclassified based on the prior calendar year's usage.
Are there demand charges and power factor penalties for C&I accounts?▾
Yes. Schedules 22, 23, and 34 carry monthly demand charges (with a tiered first-50-kW/excess structure on 22 and 23) and a power factor adjustment that applies when the average power factor is below 95% and billing demand exceeds 50 kW. Maintaining a power factor at or above 95% avoids the adjustment.
Automate Public Utility District No. 1 of Benton County Rate Analysis with Nectar
Nectar continuously monitors your Public Utility District No. 1 of Benton County rate options and alerts you when a better schedule is available. Save 10-30% on energy costs.
Nectar for Energy & Sustainability Teams
Managing utility costs for commercial or industrial buildings? Nectar offers a free rate analysis — we'll review your current rate schedules and identify where switching tariffs or shifting load can save 10-30%.
Get a Free Rate AnalysisNectar for Energy Brokers & Consultants
Advising clients on rate optimization? Nectar works with energy consultants who need reliable interval data and automated rate comparison tools.
Partner with Us