Lee County Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving over 257,000 accounts across Southwest Florida. LCEC offers billing and usage data through its SmartHub portal and uses Aclara TWACS AMI metering, but has no Green Button, EDI, public API, or formal third-party data-sharing program.
Lee County Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | Commercial (Non-Demand) | $26.50-$29.50/mo + 11.90¢-12.30¢/kWh | Small commercial loads at or under 20 kW |
| GSD | Commercial (Demand) | $40/mo + $11.00/kW + 7.60¢/kWh | Standard C&I loads above 20 kW |
| GSD-O | Industrial (Demand-Optional) | $40/mo + $15.00/kW + 7.12¢/kWh | High load factor (>63%) operations running near-continuously |
| IS | Industrial (Interruptible) | $65/mo + $11.00-$15.00/kW + 7.60¢/7.12¢/kWh, with $3.75/kW curtailment credit | Large loads (≥50 kW) able to curtail on request |
Market Overview
LCEC is a not-for-profit electric cooperative owned by its members and rate-regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission. Florida does not have retail electric competition, so C&I members cannot select an alternate supplier; LCEC is the sole provider. Rates come from LCEC's filed tariff (Volume 3) plus a monthly Power Cost Adjustment.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Lee County Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
LCEC C&I rates are set in its filed Electric Tariff (Volume 3). Small commercial loads (≤20 kW) take the non-demand GS schedule; loads above 20 kW take the demand schedules GSD, GSD-O (for high load factor), or IS (interruptible). Demand is billed on the maximum 15-minute integrated demand, with a billing-demand floor of 20 kW (or 70% of the highest demand in the prior 11 months). All charges are subject to a monthly Power Cost Adjustment and Florida tax adjustment. Figures below are verified from the LCEC 2026 tariff sheet.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS — General Service Non-Demand | commercial | Commercial service with maximum demand of 20 kW or less. | Customer Charge: single-phase $26.50, three-phase $29.50. Energy Charge: single-phase 11.90¢/kWh, three-phase 12.30¢/kWh. Subject to Power Cost Adjustment. | — |
| GSD — General Service Demand | commercial | Commercial/industrial service with maximum demand over 20 kW in any 3 of the prior 12 months; 12-month minimum term. | Customer Charge $40.00; Demand Charge $11.00/kW of billing demand; Energy Charge 7.60¢/kWh. Billing demand = max 15-minute integrated demand (floor of 20 kW or 70% of prior-11-month max). Subject to Power Cost Adjustment. | — |
| GSD-O — General Service Demand-Optional | industrial | GSD customers whose load factor exceeds 63% in any 5 of the prior 12 months. | Customer Charge $40.00; Demand Charge $15.00/kW; Energy Charge 7.12¢/kWh. Higher demand charge offset by lower energy charge for high-load-factor operations. Subject to Power Cost Adjustment. | — |
| IS — Interruptible General Service Demand | industrial | GSD/GSD-O customers contracting ≥50 kW and agreeing to curtail ≥50 kW on request. | Customer Charge $65.00; Demand Charge $11.00/kW (GSD basis) or $15.00/kW (GSD-O basis); Energy Charge 7.60¢ or 7.12¢/kWh. Interruptible credit of $3.75/kW for contracted curtailment below billing demand. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small business / retail under 20 kW
Small commercial accounts that never exceed 20 kW take the non-demand GS schedule.
GS avoids demand charges entirely; cost is driven by the customer charge plus per-kWh energy.
- Confirm demand stays under 20 kW to remain on GS
- Three-phase service carries a slightly higher customer and energy charge
- Track usage in SmartHub Usage Explorer
Standard commercial / light industrial over 20 kW
Most C&I loads above 20 kW take the GSD demand schedule.
GSD's $11.00/kW demand and 7.60¢/kWh energy fit typical commercial load profiles below 63% load factor.
- Shave the single highest 15-minute interval to lower demand charges
- Watch the 20 kW floor and 70% prior-11-month ratchet
- Keep power factor ≥90% lagging
High-load-factor industrial (>63%)
Operations running near-continuously qualify for GSD-O's lower energy rate.
GSD-O trades a higher $15.00/kW demand charge for a lower 7.12¢/kWh energy rate, which wins at sustained high load factor.
- Confirm load factor exceeds 63% in 5 of the prior 12 months
- Run a GSD vs. GSD-O breakeven on actual interval data
- Claim the $0.25/kW primary discount if metered at ≥14.4 kV
Large curtailable load (≥50 kW)
Large members able to shed load on request can earn interruptible credits under IS.
The IS schedule pays a $3.75/kW curtailment credit for contracted demand reductions, lowering net demand cost for flexible operations.
- Identify equipment that can be curtailed ≥50 kW on notice
- Model the curtailment credit against potential excess-demand penalties
- Coordinate the contracted curtailment demand with Member Care
Historical Rate Trends
LCEC's filed tariff (Volume 3) carries effective dates ranging from 2022 to 2026 across schedules, with the GSD-O and interruptible schedules most recently revised effective January 1, 2026. Base demand and energy charges have remained stable; short-term fuel-cost movements flow through the monthly Power Cost Adjustment rather than the tariff sheets.
January 1, 2026
Latest revision to GSD-O and interruptible (IS) demand schedules in the LCEC 2026 electric tariff.
n/a (schedule revision)Overall trend: Stable base rates with fuel-cost volatility handled via the monthly Power Cost Adjustment.
Next expected change: Tariff revisions are filed with the FPSC as needed; the Power Cost Adjustment changes monthly.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because LCEC bills commercial demand on the maximum 15-minute interval (with a 20 kW floor and a 70% ratchet), C&I cost control centers on flattening peak demand and choosing the schedule that matches load factor.
Match schedule to load factor
For: Demand customers (>20 kW)
Evaluate GSD vs. GSD-O: high-load-factor sites (>63%) save with GSD-O's lower 7.12¢/kWh energy rate despite the higher $15.00/kW demand charge, while spikier loads stay on GSD.
Shave 15-minute peak demand
For: All GSD/GSD-O/IS members
Use staging, scheduling, and controls to cut the single highest 15-minute interval, which sets the monthly demand charge; mind the 20 kW floor and the 70% prior-11-month ratchet.
Consider interruptible (IS) service
For: Large loads ≥50 kW with curtailable equipment
Members able to curtail ≥50 kW on request can earn a $3.75/kW curtailment credit under the IS schedule.
Maintain power factor and pursue primary service
For: Larger demand customers
Keep power factor ≥90% lagging to avoid demand gross-up, and if metered at ≥14.4 kV with customer-owned transformation, claim the $0.25/kW primary service discount.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Lee County Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does LCEC provide 15-minute interval data for commercial accounts?▾
LCEC's TWACS meters record 15-minute interval data and use it to compute commercial demand charges, but that granular interval data is not exposed through SmartHub or any self-service tool. Customers see monthly and daily summaries. Granular interval data requires a case-by-case request to Member Care.
How does a third party access our LCEC usage data?▾
LCEC has no formal Share My Data program. The member must provide written authorization (a Commercial Authorization Form referenced by Member Care), submitted via the Secure Document Upload portal or email. LCEC then arranges third-party SmartHub access or sends data on a case-by-case basis. The FESP route can also name an energy auditor as a recipient.
Which LCEC rate schedule fits a commercial or industrial load?▾
Loads of 20 kW or less use the non-demand GS schedule. Above 20 kW, GSD is the default; high-load-factor sites (>63%) can elect GSD-O for a lower energy rate, and members able to curtail ≥50 kW can take the interruptible IS schedule for a curtailment credit.
How is demand measured and billed at LCEC?▾
Demand is the maximum 15-minute integrated demand during the billing period, billed at $11.00/kW (GSD) or $15.00/kW (GSD-O). Billing demand can never be less than 20 kW or 70% of the highest demand in the prior 11 months, so a single peak can raise charges for nearly a year.
Does LCEC support EDI or a public API?▾
No. There is no documented public EDI program and no public API or developer portal. The Oracle Utilities backend has REST capabilities, but they are not exposed externally. Large members can ask Member Care about business-systems integration options.
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