Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association Rate Selection Guide
Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association is a member-owned electric cooperative serving over 56,000 accounts in rural Wright and western Hennepin counties, Minnesota. As a cooperative, it is exempt from Minnesota's Open Data Access Standards and offers self-service billing and interval data through its Meridian portal and MyMeter platform, with no Green Button, EDI, or public API.
Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial & Industrial Rate | Industrial / large commercial | $0.05310/$0.04761 per kW energy + $13.75-$17.00/kW demand + $62.00 service | Businesses with peak >=25 kW and usage >=5,000 kWh |
| General Service (Commercial) | Small commercial | $0.11295 per kWh + $39.90 service | Small businesses under 25 kW and 5,000 kWh |
Market Overview
Minnesota is a regulated, vertically-integrated market with no retail electricity choice for most customers. Wright-Hennepin is a member-owned cooperative whose rates are set by its elected board rather than the Minnesota PUC. It procures wholesale power primarily from Great River Energy and Basin Electric Cooperative. There is no competitive supplier shopping for WH members.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Wright-Hennepin's 2026 rate schedule took effect May 1, 2026. Commercial and industrial members are billed on a demand-based C&I rate (peak >=25 kW and usage >=5,000 kWh) or the General Service rate for smaller accounts. The C&I rate carries seasonal demand charges that are higher in summer, plus a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) that varies monthly with wholesale power costs. All figures below are from WH's published 2026 rate schedule.
Effective: May 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial & Industrial Rate | industrial | Members with average monthly peak >=25 kW AND average usage >=5,000 kWh | Energy: $0.05310 per peak kW for the first 400 kW, $0.04761 per peak kW over 400 kW. Demand: $13.75/kW (Oct-May), $17.00/kW (Jun-Sep). Monthly service charge: $62.00. Plus monthly PCA and possible power-factor demand adjustment. | — |
| General Service Rate (Commercial) | commercial | C&I members with average monthly peak <25 kW AND average usage <5,000 kWh | Energy: $0.11295 per kWh. Monthly service charge: $39.90. Plus monthly PCA. | — |
| General Service Multi-Phase | commercial | Members with 3-phase service, peak <25 kW and usage <5,000 kWh | Energy: $0.11295 per kWh. Monthly service charge: $39.90. Plus monthly PCA. | — |
| Other Commercial Options (Generation/Seasonal/Interruptible) | commercial | C&I members with onsite generation, seasonal loads, or interruptible loads | Custom rate structures available; contact a Commercial Account Representative at (763) 477-3000. Specific pricing not published. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large commercial / industrial facility
Facilities with peak above 25 kW and usage above 5,000 kWh are billed on the demand-driven C&I rate where summer demand charges dominate.
The $17.00/kW summer demand charge and power-factor adjustment make peak and power-factor management the primary cost levers.
- Track peak demand in MyMeter and target summer peak reduction
- Correct power factor to avoid the demand adjustment
- Evaluate load control program enrollment
Small business / light commercial
Businesses below the 25 kW and 5,000 kWh thresholds are billed on the flat General Service rate with no demand charge.
A flat $0.11295/kWh energy rate plus a $39.90 service charge is simpler and avoids demand billing for low-peak loads.
- Monitor usage in MyMeter to stay below the demand threshold
- Enroll in paperless billing for the e-bill convenience
- Use rebates for efficient equipment
Energy consultant / data aggregation
Consultants needing WH member data must use manual, authorization-based requests; no API or Green Button exists.
WH is exempt from ODAS and provides no automated third-party data access, so plan for PDF delivery and 5-10 business day turnaround.
- Collect a signed letter of authority from each member
- Have members export MyMeter visualizations where possible
- Budget time for manual, per-account requests
Historical Rate Trends
Wright-Hennepin implemented its most recent rate changes effective May 1, 2026, with details published in a Rate Change FAQ. As a cooperative, rate changes are approved by the elected board rather than the Minnesota PUC.
May 1, 2026
2026 rate schedule took effect, updating residential, general service, and C&I energy, demand, and service charges.
N/A (amount not published)Overall trend: Rates have trended upward in line with rising wholesale power supply costs from Great River Energy and Basin Electric.
Next expected change: Next change typically reviewed annually; no specific future date published.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For Wright-Hennepin C&I members, the largest savings opportunities come from managing peak demand (especially in summer), maintaining a high power factor, and shifting load. Smaller accounts near the 25 kW / 5,000 kWh threshold should evaluate which rate minimizes total cost.
Summer peak demand management
For: C&I members on the demand-based rate
The C&I demand charge is $17.00/kW June-September versus $13.75/kW October-May. Curtailing or shifting peak loads during summer months directly reduces billed demand.
Power factor correction
For: C&I members with motor-heavy or inductive loads
Billing may include a power-factor demand adjustment when average power factor is low. Installing capacitor banks or correcting inductive loads avoids this surcharge.
Rate threshold optimization
For: Small-to-mid commercial members
Accounts near the 25 kW / 5,000 kWh boundary should compare total cost on the demand-based C&I rate versus the flat $0.11295/kWh General Service rate.
Load control program participation
For: C&I members with controllable loads
Enrolling controllable loads (water heating, generators) in WH demand management programs can reduce peak demand and earn incentives.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a commercial or industrial member access their Wright-Hennepin interval data?▾
C&I members log in to the MyMeter platform at mymeter.whe.org to view interval usage, weather and year-over-year comparisons, and usage alerts. WH has not implemented Green Button or a public API, so there is no automated bulk export. For raw data, contact a Commercial Account Representative at (763) 477-3000.
Does Wright-Hennepin support Green Button or a third-party data API?▾
No. As a member-owned cooperative, WH is exempt from Minnesota's Open Data Access Standards and has not implemented Green Button Download My Data, Connect My Data, or any public developer API. Third-party access requires written member authorization and a manual request to Member Services.
How does an energy consultant get billing data for a WH commercial account?▾
Obtain a signed letter of authority from the member, then submit it to WH Member Services at (763) 477-3000 or billing.payments@whe.org. Data is typically provided as PDFs within 5-10 business days; there is no standardized format for bulk or multi-account requests.
What rate applies to a Wright-Hennepin commercial or industrial member?▾
Members with an average monthly peak of 25 kW or greater AND average usage of 5,000 kWh or greater are billed on the Commercial & Industrial rate (energy plus a seasonal demand charge plus a $62.00 monthly service charge). Smaller C&I accounts fall under the General Service rate at $0.11295/kWh plus a $39.90 service charge. Rates took effect May 1, 2026.
How can a WH business reduce its demand charges?▾
Because the C&I demand charge is highest in summer ($17.00/kW June-September vs $13.75/kW October-May), shifting or curtailing peak loads in summer months and improving power factor (to avoid the power-factor demand adjustment) are the most effective levers. Load control programs and MyMeter peak tracking support this.
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