Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Rate Selection Guide
Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light (Crow Wing Power) is a member-owned rural electric cooperative serving roughly 48,542 members in north-central Minnesota. It offers strong first-party billing and usage access through NISC SmartHub and Tantalus TUNet AMI metering, but has no Green Button, EDI, developer API, or aggregator data-sharing programs.
Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial | commercial | 12.25¢/kWh + $39.50/mo base; no demand charge | Small commercial up to 50 kW demand |
| Large Power | industrial | 5.76¢/kWh + $19.15/kW demand + $75.15/mo base | C&I loads 50-1,500 kW |
| Irrigation | agricultural | 8.4¢/kWh + $22.00/kW demand (or $5.25/kW off-peak) | Agricultural irrigation pumping |
| Dual Fuel | commercial | 6.1¢/kWh + $1/meter | Controlled dual-fuel heating loads |
Market Overview
Minnesota electric cooperatives are member-owned, non-profit utilities governed by cooperative bylaws and Minnesota Chapter 308A, not rate-regulated by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission as investor-owned utilities are. Crow Wing Power has an exclusive, non-competitive service territory with no retail choice; members cannot shop for a competitive supplier. Wholesale power is supplied through Great River Energy, and rates are set by the elected Board of Directors. Minnesota's 2023 Open Data Access Standards apply only to large IOUs, not to cooperatives.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Crow Wing Power commercial rates (effective 1/1/26) are verified from the utility's published rate page. Small Commercial: 12.25¢/kWh energy, no demand charge, $39.50/month base (not to exceed 50 kW billing demand). Large Power (50-1,500 kW): 5.76¢/kWh energy, $19.15/kW demand charge, $75.15/month base. Irrigation: 8.4¢/kWh with $22.00/kW demand (or $5.25/kW off-peak). Dual Fuel: 6.1¢/kWh, $1/meter. A Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) may apply per kWh. Rates increased effective January 1, 2026.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial Rate | commercial | Commercial accounts up to 50 kW billing demand. | Energy 12.25¢/kWh; no demand charge; base charge $39.50/month (verified, effective 1/1/26). | — |
| Large Power Rate | industrial | Commercial/industrial accounts with 50 kW to 1,500 kW demand. | Energy 5.76¢/kWh; demand charge $19.15/kW (highest 15-minute kW); base charge $75.15/month (verified, effective 1/1/26). | — |
| Irrigation Rate | agricultural | Agricultural irrigation loads. | Energy 8.4¢/kWh; demand $22.00/kW or off-peak $5.25/kW (verified, effective 1/1/26). | — |
| Dual Fuel Rate | commercial | Controlled dual-fuel heating loads (utility load control). | Energy 6.1¢/kWh; $1 per-meter charge (verified, effective 1/1/26). | — |
| Off Peak Rate | commercial | Controlled off-peak loads (utility load control). | Energy 4.95¢/kWh; $1 per-meter charge (verified, effective 1/1/26). | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial site under 50 kW (retail, office, small shop)
Small Commercial bills 12.25¢/kWh energy plus a $39.50/month base with no demand charge — cost is purely volumetric.
With no demand charge below 50 kW, energy efficiency and kWh reduction drive savings.
- Reduce kWh through lighting/HVAC efficiency
- Use SmartHub usage trends to find anomalies
- Watch billing demand to avoid crossing into Large Power
Large commercial / industrial load (50-1,500 kW)
Large Power bills 5.76¢/kWh energy plus a $19.15/kW demand charge on the 15-minute peak and a $75.15/month base.
Demand charges dominate; the low energy rate rewards high, steady load factors and aggressive peak management.
- Implement peak-shaving and load scheduling
- Target the single highest 15-minute kW each month
- Track demand via SmartHub and request interval data for analysis
Site near the 50 kW threshold
Near 50 kW, the lower Large Power energy rate competes with the no-demand Small Commercial rate.
Low-load-factor sites may pay more on Large Power due to demand; high-load-factor sites benefit from the lower energy rate.
- Model both schedules at your actual load factor
- Estimate peak kW from interval data
- Re-evaluate after load changes
Facility with flexible heating / interruptible load
Dual Fuel (6.1¢/kWh) and Off Peak (4.95¢/kWh) controlled rates offer deep discounts for utility-managed loads.
Interruptible loads on controlled rates pay roughly half the Small Commercial energy charge.
- Enroll qualifying heating/process loads in Load Control
- Confirm backup heating for dual-fuel cycling
- Combine with demand management on primary service
Historical Rate Trends
As a Board-governed cooperative purchasing wholesale power through Great River Energy, Crow Wing Power adjusts rates periodically and applies a PCA rider rather than filing PUC rate cases.
January 1, 2026
Increase to base charge and per-kWh energy rate across rate classes, reflected on February bills.
N/A (amount not published)January 1, 2024
Rate adjustment to recover wholesale power and operating costs.
N/A (amount not published)Overall trend: Recent upward adjustments (rate changes in 2024 and effective January 1, 2026).
Next expected change: Rates increased effective January 1, 2026 (reflected on February bills); future changes set by the Board.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Crow Wing Power C&I members can cut costs by optimizing demand on Large Power, choosing the right schedule near the 50 kW threshold, and enrolling interruptible loads in controlled-load rates.
Manage 15-minute demand peaks
For: Large Power
On Large Power, the $19.15/kW demand charge is set by the single highest 15-minute kW. Stagger equipment startups and shed non-critical load during peaks to lower billed demand.
Optimize schedule selection near 50 kW
For: Small Commercial, Large Power
Below 50 kW, Small Commercial (12.25¢/kWh, no demand) may beat Large Power (5.76¢/kWh + $19.15/kW). Model both at your load factor to pick the cheaper schedule.
Enroll interruptible loads in controlled rates
For: Commercial with flexible/heating loads
Shift qualifying heating/process loads to Dual Fuel (6.1¢/kWh) or Off Peak (4.95¢/kWh) controlled rates for deep energy discounts.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we pull Crow Wing Power interval data through an API for our C&I sites?▾
No. There is no developer API, Green Button, or ESPI endpoint. The Tantalus AMI collects 15-minute data internally, but customer-facing access is limited to SmartHub graphs. Bulk data requires a manual, authorized request to the utility (5-10 business days).
Does Crow Wing Power support EDI for commercial billing or enrollment?▾
No EDI trading-partner program is published. As a non-competitive Minnesota cooperative, there is no deregulated supply market requiring supplier-utility EDI. Inquire with Business Services for any custom arrangement.
How is the commercial demand charge calculated?▾
For Large Power accounts (50 kW to 1,500 kW), the demand charge is the highest power consumed during any 15-minute interval in the billing period, measured in kW, multiplied by $19.15/kW (effective 1/1/26). Small Commercial accounts (up to 50 kW billing demand) have no demand charge.
Can a third party retrieve our data automatically?▾
There is no automated utility authorization portal, so third-party retrieval is generally manual. Nectar provides API access to this utility's billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com — alongside the manual, member-authorized request process.
How far back is historical usage available for benchmarking?▾
SmartHub typically shows 12+ months of usage and billing. For longer history needed for M&V or benchmarking, submit a direct request to Crow Wing Power with the account number and date range.
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