Navopache Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Navopache Electric Cooperative (NEC) is a member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative serving 45,000+ meters across Arizona and New Mexico. It has deployed AMI smart meters and uses the NISC SmartHub portal; there is no Green Button, public API, or formal aggregator program, though limited interval data and case-by-case EDI exist for large C&I.
Navopache Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 2-SS | C&I Secondary >50 kVA | $161.25 + $10.65/kVa + $0.057-0.077/kWh | Mid-size businesses on secondary voltage |
| Schedule 2-PS | C&I Primary >50 kVA / >750 kVA | $275.00 + $10.33/kVa + $0.056-0.075/kWh | Large customers taking primary voltage with own transformer |
| Schedule 12 | Large C&I >1,000 kVA | Delivery-level demand $5.33-$9.30/kVa + fixed billing/metering | Very large industrial loads |
| Schedule 3 | Small commercial <=50 kVA | Standard or Time-of-Use (see tariff) | Small shops and light commercial |
Market Overview
Arizona retail competition is on hold; the ACC has authorized no competitive supplier in NEC's territory. NEC's AZ rates are set by ACC Decision No. 81585; NM territory is overseen by the NM PRC. C&I customers take bundled cooperative service.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Navopache Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Arizona C&I rates are set under ACC Decision No. 81585, effective for usage on or after January 1, 2026 (February 2026 cycle billings). Commercial & Industrial service above 50 kVA (Schedule 2) carries a monthly service availability charge, a kVa demand charge based on the maximum 15-minute demand, and tiered energy charges; large users (>1,000 / >2,000 kVA) use Schedule 12 with delivery-level components. New Mexico territory uses separate NM PRC tariffs.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 2-SS: C&I Secondary Service Standard (>50 kVA) | commercial | Single/three-phase secondary service requiring more than 50 kVA of transformer capacity. | Service availability $161.25/mo; billing demand $10.65/kVa (max 15-min demand); energy first 300 kWh/kVa $0.077362/kWh, over 300 kWh/kVa $0.057362/kWh. (ACC Decision 81585, eff. Jan 1, 2026.) | — |
| Schedule 2-PS: C&I Primary Service Standard (>50 kVA) | industrial | Three-phase primary service over 50 kVA, taking service at 14,400V+ and in excess of 750 kVA, customer-owned transformer/substation. | Service availability $275.00/mo; billing demand $10.33/kVa; energy first 300 kWh/kVa $0.075040/kWh, over 300 kWh/kVa $0.055640/kWh. (ACC Decision 81585, eff. Jan 1, 2026.) | — |
| Schedule 2-ST/2-PT: C&I Time-of-Use (>50 kVA) | commercial | Secondary or primary C&I customers over 50 kVA electing time-of-use pricing. | Same fixed/demand framework as Schedule 2 Standard with time-differentiated energy pricing (see Secondary ToU and Primary ToU tariff sheets). Verified $ figures published per the ACC Decision 81585 tariff PDFs. | — |
| Schedule 12: Large Commercial & Industrial (>1,000 kVA) | industrial | Large C&I above 1,000 kVA (and a separate >2,000 kVA tier), with delivery-level (transmission/substation/primary/secondary) components. | Components per delivery level: e.g. secondary delivery service availability $416.69, billing demand $9.30/kVa; primary $9.07/kVa; substation $5.33/kVa; transmission $1.38/kVa; plus billing/metering charges (billing $72.55, metering $9.82, power supply per delivery). (ACC Decision 81585, eff. Jan 1, 2026.) | — |
| Schedule 3: Small Commercial (<=50 kVA) | commercial | Small commercial accounts at 50 kVA or less (Standard and Time-of-Use variants). | Standard, Winter ToU, and Year-Round ToU options. Verified $ components published in the Schedule 3 tariff sheets under ACC Decision 81585 (eff. Jan 1, 2026). | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial (>50 kVA, secondary)
Schedule 2-SS with demand and power-factor management.
At $10.65/kVa, demand and power factor drive the bill. kVa billing means poor power factor directly inflates demand charges.
- Install power-factor correction capacitors
- Stagger large motor/HVAC startups
- Request 15-minute AMI data to find peaks
Large facility able to take primary voltage
Compare Schedule 2-PS vs 2-SS.
Primary service has a higher fixed charge ($275 vs $161.25) and lower demand ($10.33 vs $10.65/kVa) and energy rates, favoring high-consumption, high-load-factor sites that can own transformers.
- Model both schedules on 12 months of demand data
- Factor transformer ownership/maintenance cost
- Confirm service voltage eligibility (14,400V+, >750 kVA)
Very large industrial load (>1,000 kVA)
Schedule 12 with delivery-level optimization.
Schedule 12 unbundles by delivery level; taking service at higher voltage (substation/transmission) cuts the per-kVa demand component ($5.33 substation vs $9.30 secondary).
- Evaluate higher-voltage interconnection
- Engage Engineering Services (928-368-5118 x191)
- Track the >1,000 vs >2,000 kVA tier thresholds
Energy consultant / aggregator
Plan for authorization + manual interval data.
No API/Green Button; access is via signed authorization forms and manual interval requests, or case-by-case MultiSpeak/EDI for large portfolios.
- Collect Authorization to Act On Behalf of Member of Record per account
- Request 15-minute data from Member Care (2-5 business days)
- For scale, propose MultiSpeak/EDI to Engineering Services (4-12 wk lead)
Historical Rate Trends
NEC's Arizona rates are reset through ACC rate cases. The current schedules were approved under ACC Decision No. 81585 and took effect for usage on or after January 1, 2026.
January 1, 2026
New rate schedules effective under ACC Decision No. 81585 (Notice of Effective Rates 2026), applied to February 2026 cycle billings.
Per ACC Decision 81585Overall trend: Rates adjusted via periodic ACC rate cases plus monthly fuel/power-supply and adjustment adders.
Next expected change: Next change would come through a future ACC rate case; interim adjustments flow through the Schedule of Billing Adjustments, Adders & Service Details.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because NEC's C&I bills are driven by the kVa demand charge on the maximum 15-minute demand and a tiered energy charge, the biggest levers are peak/demand management, power-factor improvement (kVa is billed, not kW), and choosing the right primary-vs-secondary service and ToU option.
Manage 15-minute peak demand
For: Schedule 2, Schedule 12
Cap simultaneous loads and stagger startups to lower the maximum 15-minute kVa that sets the demand charge.
Power-factor correction
For: Schedule 2, Schedule 12
Because demand is billed in kVa (apparent power), correcting power factor with capacitors reduces billed demand without cutting real output.
Evaluate Primary vs Secondary service
For: Large C&I >750 kVA
High-load-factor customers able to take primary voltage and own transformers may benefit from Schedule 2-PS's lower energy ($0.0556-0.0750 vs $0.0574-0.0774) despite the higher $275 fixed charge.
Use interval data for ToU optimization
For: All C&I
Request 15-minute AMI data from Member Care to model load shape and decide whether a Time-of-Use schedule lowers cost.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Navopache Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we get 15-minute interval data for our C&I facility?▾
Yes, but not via self-service. NEC's AMI collects 15-30 minute interval data, and SmartHub shows daily/hourly usage. For true 15-minute interval exports, submit a request to Member Care (928-368-5118 x230) with the account, date range, and interval; expect 2-5 business days and CSV/Excel delivery.
How does a consultant get authorized to access a member's data?▾
The member completes the Authorization to Act On Behalf of Member of Record form (Electric Service Policies Section 2.26), available on NEC's Applications & Forms page, and submits it to Member Care. Processing takes 5-10 business days. Access is request-based, not automated.
Which Arizona rate schedule applies to our commercial facility?▾
Above 50 kVA, NEC's Schedule 2 (Commercial & Industrial) applies, with Secondary or Primary service and Standard or Time-of-Use options. Large loads use Schedule 12 (above 1,000 kVA / above 2,000 kVA). Your transformer capacity and service voltage determine the schedule; all are under ACC Decision No. 81585 effective Jan 1, 2026.
Is there a public API or Green Button for automated data access?▾
No. NEC has no public developer API, Green Button Download My Data, or Connect My Data. It uses MultiSpeak internally and can negotiate EDI/MultiSpeak with large C&I and suppliers case-by-case via Engineering Services (928-368-5118 x191).
Can large C&I customers in NEC's territory choose a competitive supplier?▾
No. Arizona's Retail Electric Competition Rules are on hold and the ACC has not authorized any competitive Electric Service Provider in NEC's territory. C&I customers take bundled service from NEC; only the unbundled rate components for Direct Access are defined in tariff but unused.
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