Chugach Electric Association Rate Selection Guide
Chugach Electric Association is Alaska's largest electric utility, a member-owned cooperative serving roughly 113,000 metered locations across Anchorage and surrounding areas. It is regulated by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) and offers no retail supplier choice — members buy bundled service directly from the cooperative.
Chugach Electric Association Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service | Commercial | 22.9098¢/kWh all-in; $19.46/mo | Small businesses under 20 kW demand |
| Large General Service — Secondary | Commercial | 10.7358¢/kWh + $38.38/kW demand | Mid-size commercial over 20 kW at secondary voltage |
| Large General Service — Primary | Industrial | 10.6638¢/kWh + $47.07/kW demand | Large facilities served at primary voltage |
Market Overview
Alaska is a fully regulated electricity market with no retail competition. Chugach Electric is a member-owned cooperative whose rates are set by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA). C&I members purchase bundled service directly from the cooperative; there is no third-party supplier choice.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Chugach Electric Association Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Rates below are Chugach South District retail rates in effect April 1, 2026, taken from the cooperative's published rate schedule. Large General Service applies to non-residential members exceeding 20 kW; it adds a per-kW demand charge on top of a low energy charge. Totals shown are all-in per-kWh including fuel, purchased power, BRU surcharge, regulatory, ERO, and gross revenue tax riders. A 2% undergrounding surcharge applies within the Municipality of Anchorage.
Effective: April 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service | commercial | Non-residential members whose demand does not exceed 20 kW in any billing month. | Monthly customer charge plus all-in energy charge; no demand charge. | 22.9098¢/kWh all-in; $19.46/month customer charge+ None |
| Large General Service — Secondary | commercial | Non-residential members exceeding 20 kW demand, taking service at secondary voltage. | Monthly customer charge + low energy charge + per-kW demand charge (riders included in energy total). | 10.7358¢/kWh all-in energy; $31.99/month customer charge+ $38.38 per kW |
| Large General Service — Primary | industrial | Larger non-residential members taking service at primary (distribution) voltage. | Monthly customer charge + low energy charge + higher per-kW demand charge. | 10.6638¢/kWh all-in energy; $20.06/month customer charge+ $47.07 per kW |
| Purchased Power — Qualified Facilities | commercial | Members with customer-installed generation of 200 kW or less selling power back to Chugach. | Per-kWh purchase rate that varies by interconnection voltage. | 6.798¢ (transmission) / 6.860¢ (primary) / 6.912¢ (secondary) per kWh+ N/A |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (over 20 kW)
Office, retail, or light-commercial sites taking secondary-voltage service above 20 kW.
Once demand crosses 20 kW the demand charge ($38.38/kW) becomes the dominant cost. The low 10.7358¢/kWh energy rate rewards facilities that flatten their peak.
- Track and shave monthly peaks now that the ratchet is gone
- Request manual AMI interval data from Regulatory Affairs to find peak drivers
- Verify billed demand against your own submetering
Large industrial / primary-voltage facility
Large loads able to take service at primary distribution voltage.
Primary service offers a lower energy charge (10.6638¢/kWh) and customer charge but a higher demand charge ($47.07/kW), so it favors high-load-factor operations that run steadily.
- Model Secondary vs Primary using your actual load factor before switching
- Prioritize peak-demand control given the higher $/kW
- Evaluate on-site generation / QF interconnection to offset energy
Small business under 20 kW
Small storefronts and offices that stay below 20 kW demand.
Below 20 kW there is no demand charge; the all-in 22.9098¢/kWh energy rate and $19.46 customer charge keep billing simple.
- Watch demand creep — exceeding 20 kW moves you to Large General Service
- Enroll in paperless billing for the credit
- Use the portal's daily usage to spot consumption spikes
ESG / sustainability data reporting
Multi-site organizations needing usage data for emissions or ESG reporting from a utility with no API.
Chugach has no Green Button or API of its own, so data collection must be manual or run through a platform like Nectar.
- Centralize monthly PDF bills from My Chugach Account
- Use Nectar's API for programmatic billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com
- Request manual AMI exports from Regulatory Affairs for granular data
Historical Rate Trends
Chugach's rates are set through RCA rate cases. The cooperative completed a major rate case (dockets U-23-047/U-23-048); the RCA approved new permanent rates and a refund plan on January 30, 2025, effective February 1, 2025. In August 2025 Chugach filed a further base-rate review seeking an additional increase.
February 1, 2025
RCA-approved permanent rates and refund plan from the U-23-047/U-23-048 rate case took effect.
n/aAugust 20, 2025
Chugach filed a base-rate review with the RCA seeking roughly a 3.1% bill increase to cover declining sales and higher costs.
+3.1%Overall trend: Upward — driven by declining sales volumes and rising costs.
Next expected change: Outcome of the August 2025 base-rate filing (RCA review pending); ~3.1% bill increase requested.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For Chugach C&I members, savings come primarily from managing peak demand and choosing the right service voltage, since the demand charge is the largest controllable line item.
Peak demand management
For: Large General Service (Secondary and Primary)
With the demand ratchet eliminated, billed demand reflects the actual current-month peak. Staggering large loads and shaving short peaks directly lowers the per-kW demand charge.
Service-voltage optimization
For: Large facilities able to take primary voltage
Compare Secondary vs Primary service. Primary has a lower customer charge and energy rate but a higher demand charge; high-load-factor facilities may net out cheaper on one or the other.
Behind-the-meter generation / QF interconnection
For: Members with solar or other on-site generation ≤200 kW
Members with on-site generation up to 200 kW can interconnect as a Qualified Facility and sell surplus back to Chugach at published buyback rates, offsetting energy purchases.
Interval-data-driven monitoring
For: All C&I members
Because Chugach does not expose interval data, pair manual AMI data requests (via Regulatory Affairs) with submetering to identify peak drivers and verify demand-charge accuracy.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Chugach Electric Association interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a commercial customer get interval (15-minute) data from Chugach Electric?▾
Not through self-service. Chugach's AMI meters collect sub-daily data, but the My Chugach Account portal exposes only daily kWh. C&I customers needing 15/30/60-minute intervals must contact Regulatory Affairs at (907) 562-4191 to ask about a manual AMI data export.
Does Chugach Electric support Green Button or an API for energy management platforms?▾
No native programs. Chugach has not implemented Green Button (Download or Connect My Data), ESPI, or any public API. Nectar provides API access to Chugach billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com; otherwise third-party platforms rely on customer-shared PDF bills.
What rate applies to my business?▾
Non-residential members with demand of 20 kW or less are billed on Small General Service. Members exceeding 20 kW are billed on Large General Service — Secondary or Primary depending on service voltage — which adds a per-kW demand charge.
Can I shop for a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. Alaska is a regulated market and Chugach is a member-owned cooperative. There is no retail choice; members buy bundled service directly from Chugach under RCA-approved tariffs.
How can a large commercial member lower demand charges?▾
The largest lever is the per-kW demand charge ($38.38/kW Secondary, $47.07/kW Primary as of April 2026). Chugach eliminated the 11-month demand ratchet for large commercial members, so demand charges now reflect actual peak demand in the current billing month — making real-time peak shaving directly impactful.
Is taking service at primary voltage worth it?▾
Primary service carries a lower customer charge and slightly lower energy charge but a higher demand charge ($47.07/kW vs $38.38/kW). The trade-off depends on load factor and peak profile — high-demand, steady-load facilities should model both before requesting a voltage change.
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