Holy Cross Energy Rate Selection Guide
Holy Cross Energy (Holy Cross Electric Association) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 61,000 meters across Colorado's Eagle, Pitkin, and Garfield counties. Known for aggressive clean-energy goals (100% clean electricity by 2030) and innovative demand-response and battery programs, it delivers billing data through the NISC SmartHub portal but does not yet offer Green Button, interval data downloads, or a public API.
Holy Cross Energy Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial / General Services | commercial | ~10.75¢/kWh avg + new $1/kW demand charge (Apr 1, 2026) | Small businesses, retail, offices under 50 kW peak |
| Large Commercial / Demand-Metered | commercial | Energy + demand $/kW (15-min peak) + ECA | Mid-to-large facilities with 50 kW+ demand |
| Industrial / Large Power | industrial | ~11.86¢/kWh avg + demand charges | Industrial and large-load members |
Market Overview
Colorado is a regulated, vertically integrated market. Holy Cross Energy is a member-owned cooperative and the sole electric provider in its territory; C&I members cannot select a competitive supplier. Rates are set by the member-elected Board of Directors. Holy Cross targets 100% clean electricity by 2030 and procures most power on the wholesale market.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Holy Cross Energy Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Holy Cross Energy commercial and industrial rates combine a fixed Customer Charge, an Energy Charge per kWh, a Demand Charge per kW (billed on the highest 15-minute interval), the Electric Cost Adjustment (ECA, ~$0.00276/kWh as of May 2026), and the WE CARE renewable surcharge. Average member bills rose about 4.85% in 2026, and a new $1/kW demand charge took effect April 1, 2026 for Small Commercial/General Services accounts under 50 kW. Per EIA-derived data, the average commercial rate is approximately 10.75¢/kWh and the average industrial rate approximately 11.86¢/kWh. Exact per-schedule charges are published in the official tariff book.
Effective: April 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Commercial / General Services | commercial | Commercial members whose monthly peak demand is under 50 kW. | Fixed Customer Charge + Energy Charge per kWh + new $1.00/kW Demand Charge (effective April 1, 2026) + ECA + WE CARE surcharge. Demand billed on the highest 15-minute interval. Average commercial rate ~10.75¢/kWh (EIA-derived). | — |
| Large Commercial / Demand-Metered Service | commercial | Commercial members with monthly peak demand of 50 kW or more. | Customer Charge + Energy Charge per kWh + Demand Charge per kW on highest 15-minute interval + ECA + WE CARE surcharge. See tariff book for the specific demand and energy rates. | — |
| Industrial / Large Power Service | industrial | Large industrial members with significant demand. | Customer Charge + Energy Charge + Demand Charge per kW (highest 15-minute interval) + ECA + WE CARE surcharge. Average industrial rate ~11.86¢/kWh (EIA-derived). Specific rates in the tariff book. | — |
| Distribution Flexibility / DER Service | commercial | Members participating in distributed energy resource and grid-flexibility programs (see tariff Pages 34 & 37). | Time-varying and grid-flexibility provisions supporting DER and demand response; structure per the Distribution Flexibility Tariff and DER Service Agreement. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial member newly subject to the $1/kW demand charge
Sub-50 kW businesses now pay a demand charge for the first time. Focus on flattening the monthly 15-minute peak.
The April 2026 $1/kW demand charge means simultaneous equipment use spikes the bill; smoothing load avoids unnecessary demand charges.
- Stagger HVAC and equipment start-ups
- Use SmartHub alerts to monitor usage
- Consider load controls or scheduling
Mid-to-large commercial facility (50 kW+)
Demand-metered commercial members should prioritize peak management and demand response.
Demand charges on the highest 15-minute interval are the dominant variable cost; peak shaving and Peak Time Payback yield the largest savings.
- Track interval peaks via custom data requests
- Enroll in Peak Time Payback
- Evaluate solar+storage for peak shaving
Industrial / large-load member
Industrial members should combine demand management with on-site generation and flexibility programs.
At ~11.86¢/kWh average plus demand charges, large loads benefit most from coincident-peak reduction and DER participation.
- Coordinate large-load scheduling to limit coincident peak
- Explore the Distribution Flexibility / DER tariff
- Pursue benchmarking and audits for efficiency
Energy consultant or aggregator needing member data
Plan for manual data access — there is no API or Green Button.
Holy Cross has no public API, Green Button, or aggregator integration; all third-party access flows through the signed Consent to Disclose form and manual SmartHub retrieval.
- Have the member sign the Consent to Disclose form early
- Request custom data reports from Member Services
- Use HB21-1286 benchmarking for large buildings
Historical Rate Trends
Holy Cross Energy rates are adjusted by its Board of Directors, with periodic public comment periods. The 2026 cycle raised average bills about 4.85% and restructured small-commercial billing to include a demand charge.
April 1, 2026
Average member bills increased ~4.85%, and a new $1.00/kW demand charge was introduced for Small Commercial/General Services members under 50 kW. Initial 2026 ECA estimated at $0.0025/kWh.
+4.85%Overall trend: Rising — driven by wholesale power costs, grid investment, and demand-cost alignment.
Next expected change: Future adjustments set annually by the Board; monitor holycross.com/rates for public comment periods.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Holy Cross C&I rates are demand- and ECA-driven, the biggest savings come from shaving the monthly 15-minute peak and participating in cooperative flexibility programs.
Manage the 15-minute peak demand
For: All demand-metered and small commercial accounts
Demand charges bill on the single highest 15-minute interval each month. Staggering equipment start-up, limiting simultaneous loads, and using controls to flatten the peak directly reduce demand charges — especially under the new sub-50 kW $1/kW charge.
Enroll in Peak Time Payback
For: Commercial and residential members
Participate in Holy Cross's demand-response program to earn bill credits for reducing load during called peak events, lowering both demand exposure and net energy cost.
Leverage the Edo building optimization pilot
For: Large commercial facilities with building automation
Eligible commercial facilities (schools, hospitals, municipal buildings with automation) can join the Edo pilot for audits, 1–15 minute building data, and demand-response integration to optimize load.
Add on-site solar and storage
For: Members with suitable roof/site and capital
With Holy Cross's net metering and 100%-clean-by-2030 goal, on-site solar plus battery storage can offset energy charges and shave demand peaks, complementing programs like Power+FLEX.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Holy Cross Energy interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a commercial customer or energy consultant pull Holy Cross Energy interval data via API?▾
No. Holy Cross Energy does not offer a public API, Green Button, or interval-data export. Demand is measured on the highest 15-minute interval for billing, but that granular data is not published. Consultants must obtain a signed Consent to Disclose form and retrieve billing data manually from SmartHub, or request a custom data report from Member Services at 970-945-5491.
How are commercial demand charges calculated at Holy Cross Energy?▾
Demand is billed on the single highest 15-minute average kW interval during the billing month. Effective April 1, 2026, Holy Cross introduced a new $1-per-kW demand charge even for Small Commercial / General Services members whose monthly peak is below 50 kW, so reducing coincident peak demand directly lowers C&I bills.
Does Holy Cross Energy support EDI for commercial billing?▾
No. Holy Cross Energy does not support NAESB/ANSI X12 EDI transactions and is not listed in DOE or Colorado PUC EDI directories. Because Colorado cooperatives are regulated single-supplier markets with no retail choice, EDI for supplier switching is not applicable. Use SmartHub or Business Services for electronic billing.
How can a large commercial building owner get annual usage data for benchmarking?▾
Holy Cross supports Colorado's HB21-1286 building performance benchmarking. Building owners (typically 50,000+ sq ft) set up an EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account and HCE provides annual energy usage for synchronization, with CSV exports available from ENERGY STAR. Contact memberservices@holycross.com or 970-945-5491.
What is the WE CARE surcharge and ECA on a commercial bill?▾
The WE CARE surcharge funds renewable energy programs and appears as a line item on member bills. The Electric Cost Adjustment (ECA) is a per-kWh pass-through that reflects wholesale power costs; as of May 2026 the ECA was approximately $0.00276/kWh. Both apply to commercial and industrial accounts.
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