Cleco Power LLC Rate Selection Guide
Cleco Power LLC is a regulated investor-owned electric utility serving about 295,000 customers across a 24-parish Louisiana territory under Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) and FERC oversight. Cleco has fully deployed AMI smart meters and offers billing and daily usage views through its MyAccount portal, but does not support Green Button, EDI, or a public retail API. Third parties typically access data through platforms like Nectar (docs.nectarclimate.com) with customer authorization.
Cleco Power LLC Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | Commercial | Customer Charge + tiered Energy Charge/kWh + Billing Demand Charge/kW + riders (see tariff) | Commercial and small industrial accounts at secondary/primary voltage |
| LPS | Industrial | Customer Charge + Billing Demand Charge/kW + Energy Charge/kWh + SP charge + riders (see tariff) | Large industrials =1,000 kW contract demand |
| IES rider | Industrial | Interruptible credit on GS/LPS base (see rider) | C&I loads that can curtail during peaks |
| TOUCH (TP) | Commercial | Time-of-use on-peak/off-peak energy (see pilot schedule) | Customers who can shift load off-peak |
Market Overview
Cleco operates in Louisiana's fully regulated, vertically integrated electric market. Retail rates are set by the LPSC; there is no retail supplier choice. Wholesale and transmission activity is FERC-jurisdictional within MISO. Customers cannot shop for a competitive electricity supplier; Cleco bundles generation, delivery and billing at approved tariff rates.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Cleco Power LLC Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Cleco's retail rates are set in its LPSC Electric Tariff (No. 8/No. 12 series, indexed effective 04/01/2026). C&I customers are served primarily under Schedule GS (General Service) and Schedule LPS (Large Power Service), with optional riders such as IES (interruptible), MVDR (demand response) and TOUCH (time-of-use pilot). Bills combine a fixed Customer Charge, a Billing Demand Charge per kW (for demand-metered classes), a per-kWh Energy Charge (tiered blocks under GS), plus adjustment riders (Fuel/FA, Environmental/EA, IICR, Storm Recovery, Energy Efficiency, Energy Transition). Verified per-unit dollar amounts are published in the individual rate-schedule PDFs in Cleco's tariff book; the figures vary by voltage level (secondary/primary/transmission) and are revised periodically by the LPSC, so consult the current schedule rather than a static number.
Effective: April 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule GS - General Service | commercial | Commercial and industrial customers; service at one delivery point, not shared or resold. Last revised 01/01/2026. | Customer Charge (fixed monthly) + Energy Charge per kWh in declining tiered blocks + Billing Demand Charge per kW + Reactive Demand Charge per kVAR (for demand-metered accounts), differentiated by secondary/primary/transmission voltage. A demand rate applies once usage exceeds the tariff's monthly kWh threshold for four consecutive months. Plus FA, EA, IICR, EE and other applicable riders. See the GS schedule PDF for current per-unit rates. | — |
| Schedule LPS - Large Power Service | industrial | Large power customers contracting for at least 1,000 kW; service at one delivery point. Last revised 01/01/2026. | Fixed Customer Charge + Billing Demand Charge per kW + Energy Charge per kWh + optional Supplemental/Additional Power (SP) demand charge, with billing demand based on the highest 30-minute integrated kW (ratcheted to the prior 11 months and contract demand). Service at 2,400V+ transmission/distribution voltage; Facilities Charge if served below transmission voltage. Plus FA, EA, IICR, EE and other riders. See the LPS schedule PDF for current per-unit rates. | — |
| Rider IES - Interruptible Electric Service | industrial | C&I customers on GS, LPS, LPCP, IDS or LED who agree to curtail load during peak events. Last revised 01/01/2025. | Credit/rider applied to the base GS or LPS schedule in exchange for interruptible load commitments; aggregators may facilitate enrollment. See the IES rider for terms. | — |
| Rider MVDR - Market Value Demand Response | industrial | C&I customers and aggregators registering demand response assets into MISO markets. Last revised 01/01/2025. | Performance-based demand response rider allowing C&I load to earn market value for curtailment via MISO; administered with Piclo. See the MVDR rider for terms. | — |
| Schedule TP - TOUCH Time-of-Use Pilot | commercial | Experimental time-of-use choice pilot available to eligible customers. Last revised 01/01/2026. | Experimental time-of-use pricing with on-peak/off-peak energy charges, leveraging AMI metering. See the TOUCH Program schedule for current periods and rates. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small / mid commercial (office, retail, light industrial)
Schedule GS covers most commercial and small industrial loads. Watch the monthly kWh threshold - exceeding it for four consecutive months moves the account onto demand billing.
GS fits non-demand and moderate loads; manage usage to avoid an unnecessary demand-rate trigger.
- Use MyAccount daily usage and alerts to track load
- Monitor the kWh threshold that triggers demand billing
- Layer applicable rider costs (FA, EA, IICR) when budgeting
Large industrial / high-demand facility
Schedule LPS serves customers contracting for at least 1,000 kW. The per-kW Billing Demand Charge - ratcheted across 11 months - is the dominant cost, so peak management is critical.
At scale, demand charges drive the bill; ratchets make sustained peak reduction valuable, and IES adds curtailment credits.
- Shave and stagger peaks to lower ratcheted billing demand
- Correct power factor to avoid reactive demand charges
- Evaluate primary/transmission voltage service for lower rates
- Consider IES interruptible credits
Flexible load able to curtail or shift
C&I facilities that can curtail during peaks should evaluate the IES and MVDR riders; those able to shift load off-peak may benefit from the TOUCH time-of-use pilot.
Demand response credits and time-of-use shifting monetize operational flexibility under a regulated bundled rate.
- Engage Cleco Business Services or Piclo to enroll in MVDR/IES
- Use AMI daily data to quantify curtailable load
- Model TOUCH on-peak/off-peak periods against your load shape
Data-driven energy management / consultants
Since Cleco lacks Green Button and a native API, automate data collection through Nectar with customer authorization, and request finer interval data from Cleco's MDMS when needed.
Nectar's API provides standardized bill and interval data for benchmarking and verification across a portfolio — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
- Use Nectar for programmatic Cleco data — see docs.nectarclimate.com
- Authorize per-customer credential access through the platform
- Request MDMS interval data from Cleco for detailed load studies
Historical Rate Trends
Cleco's base rates are reset through LPSC rate cases (a rate case took effect July 1, 2024) and updated periodically; the rate-schedule index was reissued effective April 1, 2026 with most C&I schedules last revised January 1, 2026. Variable adjustment riders (Fuel, Environmental, Storm Recovery, Energy Transition, IICR) change on their own schedules.
July 1, 2024
LPSC rate case effective; GS and LPS base rate schedules revised.
n/aJanuary 1, 2026
Most C&I rate schedules (GS, LPS, IES, MVDR, TOUCH) last revised per the 04/01/2026 tariff index.
n/aOverall trend: Base C&I rate schedules (GS, LPS) were revised in the July 2024 rate case and again effective 01/01/2026; fuel and environmental adjustment riders fluctuate with market and recovery needs. New riders (Grid Resilience Cost Recovery, Energy Transition) have been added in recent filings.
Next expected change: Adjustment riders (Fuel/FA, Storm Recovery/SRCA, Energy Transition/ETCA, IICR) continue to update on their own cadences; base rates change at the next LPSC rate case. Distributed Generation and Storm Recovery riders were revised effective 03/01/2026.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Cleco C&I bills are demand-driven and bundled (no supplier shopping in regulated Louisiana), optimization focuses on managing peak kW demand, correcting power factor, selecting the right schedule/voltage, and participating in interruptible and demand-response riders. AMI daily data supports load analysis.
Manage peak demand (kW)
For: GS (demand-metered) and LPS
The Billing Demand Charge - ratcheted to the highest 30-minute demand over 11 months - is the largest controllable cost on GS (above threshold) and LPS. Stagger equipment startups and shave peaks to lower billed demand.
Correct power factor
For: GS / LPS demand-metered accounts
Cleco assesses a Reactive Demand (kVAR) charge when reactive load exceeds the tariff threshold. Installing capacitors to raise power factor avoids these charges.
Enroll in IES / MVDR demand response
For: C&I customers able to curtail
Interruptible Electric Service (IES) provides a credit for curtailable load; Market Value Demand Response (MVDR) lets C&I assets earn MISO market value, administered via Piclo.
Verify schedule and voltage
For: Commercial / industrial
Confirm the account is on the lowest-cost eligible schedule (GS vs LPS at =1,000 kW) and, where feasible, take service at primary/transmission voltage for lower per-unit rates.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Cleco Power LLC interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can our facility download Green Button interval data from Cleco?▾
No. Cleco does not offer Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data and is not in the Green Button Alliance directory. MyAccount shows daily usage; finer interval data must be requested directly from Cleco (1-800-622-6537 / customerservice@cleco.com) or pulled via Nectar with customer authorization — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
Does Cleco have a developer API or EDI for commercial data?▾
No native retail API and no EDI program. Nectar provides API access to Cleco billing and interval data with customer authorization — see docs.nectarclimate.com. Wholesale/transmission data is available via FERC OASIS on MISO with a digital certificate.
Which schedule applies to our commercial or industrial site?▾
Most commercial and small industrial loads take Schedule GS (General Service); customers contracting for at least 1,000 kW take Schedule LPS (Large Power Service). On GS, exceeding the monthly kWh threshold for four consecutive months triggers demand billing. Verified per-unit rates are in each schedule PDF in Cleco's tariff book.
Why is the demand charge such a large part of our Cleco bill?▾
Cleco bills demand on the highest 30-minute integrated kW, ratcheted to the highest demand over the prior 11 months and to contract demand. For large LPS accounts the per-kW Billing Demand Charge often exceeds energy charges, so sustained peak reduction and power-factor correction yield the biggest savings.
Can we shop for a cheaper electricity supplier in Cleco territory?▾
No. Louisiana is a fully regulated, vertically integrated market with no retail electric choice. Cleco bundles generation, delivery and billing at LPSC-approved rates. Cost savings come from demand management, rate/voltage optimization, and demand-response riders (IES, MVDR) rather than supplier switching.
How can flexible C&I load reduce costs with Cleco?▾
Curtailable load can enroll in the Interruptible Electric Service (IES) rider for bill credits or the Market Value Demand Response (MVDR) rider to earn MISO market value (administered via Piclo). Loads that can shift to off-peak may benefit from the experimental TOUCH time-of-use pilot. Use AMI daily data to quantify the opportunity.
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