Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 133,219 members across 14 Central Texas counties. As a cooperative that has opted out of ERCOT retail competition, Bluebonnet sets its own board-approved rates and delivers billing and usage data through the NISC SmartHub (MyBluebonnet) portal.
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Service (3-phase) | Commercial <50 kW | $50/mo + $0.039114/kWh (+ $0.058936/kWh wholesale) | Small commercial accounts under 50 kW |
| Large Power | 50-250 kW | $75/mo + $5.00/kW demand + $0.015091/kWh | Mid-size commercial with metered demand |
| Large Power > 250 kW | 250 kW-1 MW | $150/mo + $6.00/kW demand + $0.009578/kWh | Large facilities up to 1 MW |
| Key Account > 1 MW (Distribution) | >=1 MW | $600/mo + $6.50/kW (first 5,000 kW), $4.88/kW excess | Industrial loads 1 MW and above |
| Key Account > 1 MW (Substation) | >=1 MW substation | $1,000/mo + $3.50/kW demand; power at cost | Very large loads on a dedicated substation |
Market Overview
Bluebonnet is a member-owned cooperative that has opted out of Texas retail electric choice. Members cannot select a competitive retail electric provider; Bluebonnet provides bundled delivery and energy at board-approved rates published in its tariff book.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Bluebonnet's C&I rates are set by its Board of Directors and published in Section II of its tariff book (rate schedules effective January 7, 2025). Commercial and industrial members are tiered by demand: Commercial Service (<50 kW), Large Power (50-250 kW), Large Power > 250 kW (250 kW-1 MW), and Key Account schedules (>=1 MW). All schedules pass through a Wholesale Energy Charge of $0.058936 per kWh plus a Power Cost Recovery Factor. A 3% primary service discount applies on demand and energy charges where the member takes primary voltage and provides transformation.
Effective: January 7, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Service (single-phase) | commercial | Commercial/industrial members under 50 kW, single-phase, not covered by a specific schedule. | Service Availability Charge $30.00/month; Bluebonnet Energy Charge $0.037214/kWh; Wholesale Energy Charge $0.058936/kWh; plus Power Cost Recovery Factor. | — |
| Commercial Service (three-phase) | commercial | Commercial/industrial members under 50 kW, three-phase. | Service Availability Charge $50.00/month; Bluebonnet Energy Charge $0.039114/kWh; Wholesale Energy Charge $0.058936/kWh; plus Power Cost Recovery Factor. | — |
| Large Power (50-250 kW) | commercial | Commercial/industrial members with demand between 50 kW and 250 kW. | Service Availability Charge $75.00/meter/month; Demand Charge $5.00/Billing kW; Bluebonnet Energy Charge $0.015091/kWh; Wholesale Energy Charge $0.058936/kWh; plus Power Cost Recovery Factor. | — |
| Large Power > 250 kW | industrial | Commercial/industrial members with demand between 250 kW and 1 MW. Billing demand is the max kW in any 30-minute interval, minimum 250 kW. | Service Availability Charge $150.00/meter/month; Demand Charge $6.00/Billing kW; Bluebonnet Energy Charge $0.009578/kWh; Wholesale Energy Charge $0.058936/kWh; plus Power Cost Recovery Factor. | — |
| Key Account > 1 MW (Distribution Primary/Secondary) | industrial | Members at 1 MW or greater on distribution primary or secondary service. Billing demand is the greater of max 30-minute kW, 1,000 kW, or contract demand. | Service Availability Charge $600.00/month; Demand Charge $6.50/Billing kW for first 5,000 kW, $4.88/Billing kW excess; Energy Charge $0.000000/kWh; Wholesale Power Cost $0.058936/kWh; plus Power Cost Recovery Factor. 3% primary service discount available. | — |
| Key Account > 1 MW (Substation Level) | industrial | Members at 1 MW or greater served by a Bluebonnet-owned substation. | Service Availability Charge $1,000.00/month; Demand Charge $3.50/Billing kW; Energy Charge $0.000000/kWh; Wholesale Power Cost billed at cost. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (50-250 kW)
Office, retail, or light-industrial sites in the 50-250 kW range billed on Large Power.
Large Power carries a $5.00/kW demand charge and a low $0.015091/kWh cooperative energy charge, so demand management drives most of the savings.
- Track the monthly max 30-minute kW
- Stagger HVAC and equipment startups
- Pull interval data to find peak windows
Large facility 250 kW-1 MW
Manufacturing or large commercial loads up to 1 MW on Large Power > 250 kW.
A $6.00/kW demand charge with a 250 kW billing minimum makes coincident-peak control and primary service the key levers.
- Avoid setting a new monthly peak
- Evaluate primary service for the 3% discount
- Validate the 250 kW billing-demand floor against actual load
Industrial load 1 MW and above
Large industrial members served on the Key Account schedules.
Energy is $0.00/kWh with cost concentrated in demand ($6.50/kW first 5,000 kW, $4.88/kW excess) and wholesale power, so substation-level service and demand control matter most.
- Compare distribution vs substation-level economics
- Negotiate contract demand carefully
- Capture the 3% primary discount
Multi-site portfolio data integration
Energy managers consolidating Bluebonnet accounts across sites.
With no Green Button or formal API, automated data collection relies on member-authorized access or aggregators.
- Use member-authorized representative access
- Use Nectar for automated billing and usage retrieval — see docs.nectarclimate.com
- Consider SmartHub API tooling for interval data
Historical Rate Trends
As a cooperative, Bluebonnet adjusts rates through board action and a monthly Power Cost Recovery Factor rather than a state rate case. The current Section II rate schedules carry an effective date of January 7, 2025.
January 7, 2025
Current Section II rate schedules effective, including the C&I Commercial, Large Power, and Key Account schedules.
n/aOverall trend: Wholesale power cost is passed through monthly via the Power Cost Recovery Factor, so member bills track wholesale market conditions between board-approved base-rate changes.
Next expected change: No specific date published; rate schedule changes occur by Board of Directors action and are posted to the tariff book.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because demand charges and the wholesale pass-through dominate large-member bills, C&I cost optimization at Bluebonnet centers on managing coincident peak demand and securing the lowest-applicable schedule and primary-service discount.
Peak demand management
For: Large Power and Key Account members (50 kW+)
Stagger large equipment startups and shed non-critical load to lower the maximum 30-minute kW that sets the monthly demand charge.
Capture the 3% primary service discount
For: Large Power and Key Account members with primary service
Take service at primary distribution voltage and provide your own transformation to earn the 3% discount on demand and energy charges.
Right-size the rate schedule
For: All C&I members near a tier boundary
Confirm the account is on the lowest-cost applicable schedule for its demand class, as the cooperative energy charge drops sharply at higher demand tiers.
Interval-data-driven load analysis
For: Members with technical/consultant support
Pull 15-minute interval data via the SmartHub API to identify peak drivers and verify billing determinants.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a third-party energy consultant access our Bluebonnet usage and billing data?▾
There is no formal third-party data portal. A member must authorize the consultant by calling Member Services at 800-842-7708 and completing a third-party authorization or power-of-attorney form that specifies the billing, payment, and usage scope. Access is then provided via member-shared exports or phone/mail inquiries. Nectar also provides API access to this utility's billing and usage data — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
What interval data is available for a commercial account, and at what granularity?▾
AMI meters record 15-minute interval data. Daily and hourly usage are viewable in the MyBluebonnet Usage Explorer, with CSV export limited to hourly-minimum granularity since January 2024. True 15-minute interval data can be pulled via the reverse-engineered NISC SmartHub session API using member credentials.
Which rate schedule applies to our commercial facility?▾
Accounts under 50 kW fall under Commercial Service (single- or three-phase). Loads between 50 kW and 250 kW use Large Power; 250 kW to 1 MW uses Large Power > 250 kW; and 1 MW or greater uses the Key Account schedules (distribution or substation level). Demand and energy charges escalate by schedule and are set in the Bluebonnet tariff book.
Does Bluebonnet support Green Button or an OAuth data API?▾
No. As of 2026 Bluebonnet does not offer Green Button Download My Data, Connect My Data, or ESPI/OAuth 2.0 third-party authorization. Programmatic access is limited to the unofficial SmartHub session API.
How do demand charges work for large commercial members?▾
Large Power and Key Account schedules bill a Demand Charge per Billing kW based on the member's maximum kW demand in any 30-minute interval during the month (subject to schedule minimums, e.g., 250 kW or 300 kW). Reducing coincident peak demand directly lowers the bill. A 3% primary service discount applies on demand and energy charges where the member takes primary voltage and provides transformation.
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