Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Oregon) Rate Selection Guide
Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) is a member-owned co-op serving 31,000+ members and nearly 40,000 accounts across 5,300 square miles of central Oregon, with BPA power supplied via PNGC Power. CEC completed smart meter deployment using Power Line Carrier technology in 2013, and members access hourly usage and billing through NISC SmartHub — with 15-minute interval data reachable via the SmartHub API and Oregon's OAR 860-086-0030 governing regulatory data transfers.
Market Overview
CEC is a member-owned distribution cooperative in Oregon's regulated market (no broad retail choice), purchasing wholesale power from the Bonneville Power Administration through PNGC Power. Oregon's OAR 860-086-0030 governs utility data transfers to the state energy administrator.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Oregon) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) serves Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sisters, and surrounding Central Oregon with some of the lowest power costs in the country thanks to BPA hydropower. Nonresidential service falls under Schedule B (General Service), split into Small General Service (GENS, 50 kW and under) and Large General Service (GENL, over 50 kW), each with a flat energy charge, a per-kW demand charge, and a monthly facilities charge. CEC also publishes a Commercial EV Charging schedule. As a member-owned cooperative, rates are set by the CEC board; confirm current values in the published rate schedule PDFs.
Effective: February 15, 2024 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule B — Small General Service (GENS) | commercial | All nonresidential services with demand of 50 kW and under. No sub-metering for resale except permitted RV parks. | Flat energy charge of 4.72¢/kWh on all kWh, demand charge of $7.74/kW of billing-period demand, and $35.00/month facilities charge. | 4.72¢/kWh+ $7.74/kW |
| Schedule B — Large General Service (GENL) | commercial | All nonresidential services over 50 kW, up to 350 kW under Schedule B. | Flat energy charge of 4.72¢/kWh on all kWh, demand charge of $9.10/kW of billing-period demand, and $120.00/month facilities charge. | 4.72¢/kWh+ $9.10/kW |
| Large Power Service (over 350 kW) | industrial | Industrial and large commercial loads exceeding the 350 kW Schedule B ceiling; served under contract — see tariff for current rates. | Demand-metered large power service; industrial customers in CEC territory average roughly 4.5¢/kWh per regional economic development data. Contract terms, demand charges, and power factor provisions per the published schedule — see tariff for current rates. | — |
| Schedule EV — Commercial EV Charging | ev | Commercial electric vehicle charging installations in CEC territory. | Energy charge of 5.96¢/kWh on all kWh plus a reduced demand charge of $4.70/kW of billing-period demand, designed to soften demand-charge impact on low-utilization DC fast chargers. | 5.96¢/kWh+ $4.70/kW |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Data center, manufacturing, or processing facility in Central Oregon
Large loads in Bend/Redmond/Prineville benefit from BPA-supplied power at industrial rates near 4.5¢/kWh — among the cheapest in the West — under Large General Service or contract Large Power schedules.
With a flat 4.72¢/kWh energy charge, the $9.10/kW demand charge is the main optimization lever on GENL. Loads over 350 kW move to contract service — engage CEC's business account manager early to structure terms.
- Manage peak kW: at $9.10/kW, shaving 100 kW of coincident peak saves about $910/month.
- Pull 15-minute interval data from SmartHub to find and flatten demand spikes.
- Loads approaching 350 kW should discuss contract Large Power service with CEC before expansion.
Small commercial — retail, office, restaurant under 50 kW
Small businesses take Small General Service (GENS) with a simple flat 4.72¢/kWh energy rate, $7.74/kW demand charge, and $35 facilities charge.
Energy is cheap and flat (no TOU), so the demand charge is the only meaningful lever. Many small businesses don't realize a single 15-minute HVAC-plus-kitchen coincident spike sets the month's demand billing.
- Stagger HVAC, refrigeration, and cooking equipment startup each morning.
- Watch demand on SmartHub's usage graphs — hourly data is downloadable as CSV.
- Crossing 50 kW demand moves you to GENL with a higher $9.10/kW charge and $120 facilities charge — plan equipment additions accordingly.
Fleet electrification or public EV charging site
Commercial charging hosts should elect Schedule EV, which cuts the demand charge nearly in half versus GENL ($4.70 vs $9.10/kW) in exchange for a modestly higher energy rate.
DC fast chargers create high peaks with low energy volume — exactly the load shape that demand charges punish. Schedule EV's $4.70/kW demand charge at 5.96¢/kWh strongly favors low-utilization charging sites; high-utilization depots should model both schedules.
- Compare Schedule EV vs GENL at your expected utilization — the crossover depends on kWh per kW of peak.
- Use charge-management software to cap simultaneous charging peaks.
- Separate metering for chargers may be required — confirm with CEC engineering.
Cost Optimization Strategies
CEC's flat 4.72¢/kWh energy pricing means there is no TOU arbitrage — nearly all commercial bill optimization comes from managing billed kW demand, choosing the right schedule at the 50 kW and 350 kW breakpoints, and using SmartHub interval data to find waste.
Demand charge management
For: All commercial and industrial members with demand metering
Demand charges ($7.74/kW GENS, $9.10/kW GENL) are the dominant controllable cost. Sequence equipment starts, interlock large loads, and use BMS-driven demand limiting to cap the billing-period peak.
Rate schedule breakpoint planning
For: Growing businesses, multi-tenant sites, and EV charging hosts
The 50 kW threshold separates GENS from GENL (higher demand and facilities charges), and 350 kW caps Schedule B. Facilities near a breakpoint should model both schedules and time equipment additions; EV hosts should evaluate Schedule EV's reduced $4.70/kW demand charge.
Interval data analysis via SmartHub
For: All members; essential for demand-charge customers
CEC's AMI meters expose hourly CSV downloads and 15-minute data through the SmartHub JSON API. Trend interval data to locate demand spikes, after-hours baseload waste, and equipment scheduling opportunities.
Power factor and equipment efficiency
For: Industrial and motor-heavy commercial loads
Low power factor inflates measured kVA/kW on large services. Correct with capacitor banks on motor-heavy loads, and upgrade lighting, HVAC, and compressed air — every avoided kW returns $9.10/month on GENL plus energy savings.
Business account manager engagement
For: Large commercial and industrial members
CEC offers a dedicated business account manager for C&I members. Use this channel for rate analyses, contract Large Power terms over 350 kW, and any available efficiency or load-management programs.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Oregon) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
What interval data can I get from Central Electric Cooperative?▾
All CEC members have smart meters (PLC-based AMI, completed 2013). SmartHub's My Usage tab shows hourly graphs with weather correlation over 12-14 months, and CSV export covers hourly data. For 15-minute interval data, the SmartHub JSON API (OAuth 2.0 with account credentials) delivers it — community-documented on GitHub rather than an official CEC program.
Does CEC support Green Button?▾
Unconfirmed. CEC runs on NISC SmartHub, which supports Green Button Download My Data at other utilities, but CEC doesn't advertise it. Call (541) 548-2144 and ask specifically about Green Button DMD/CMD availability through SmartHub before designing a workflow around it.
How does a consultant arrange third-party access to CEC data?▾
Through a custom agreement: the provider contacts Brent ten Pas, VP of Member & Public Relations, at (541) 548-2144 with a written customer consent letter, business details, and the data scope. CEC reviews in 5-10 business days and can set up one-time exports, recurring reports, or API credentials. There's no formal aggregator program or Share My Data portal.
What does Oregon's OAR 860-086-0030 mean for CEC data?▾
It requires CEC to transfer customer details, building/business type, 18+ months of monthly usage history, meter numbers, point-of-delivery IDs, and rate schedules to the Oregon Department of Energy administrator — with customer opt-out available for most sharing. It establishes a useful regulatory baseline for data availability in Oregon even though CEC lacks formal third-party programs.
What's the best way for an energy platform to integrate CEC accounts today?▾
CEC is on Nectar's roadmap. The practical paths: customer-authorized SmartHub access (hourly CSV plus bill PDFs), the SmartHub JSON API for 15-minute interval data with customer credentials, or a negotiated data sharing agreement for recurring exports. With PLC AMI covering every meter, data quality is solid once the access channel is set.
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