Got a manufacturing client in San Antonio on CPS Energy Schedule LP-1. The tariff mentions "coincident peak demand" but I can't figure out how they calculate it. Is this the same as system peak?
CPS Energy tariff interpretation - confused about coincident peak
Coincident peak is when the customer's demand coincides with the utility's system peak. CPS uses the 4 highest summer months (June-Sept) between 3-7pm weekdays. It's different from the customer's individual peak demand.
CPS is tricky because they have both coincident and non-coincident charges. The coincident piece is usually around $8-12/kW and shows up as a separate line item in summer months.
Thanks! Found it on page 78 of their tariff book. The coincident peak rider adds about $2,400/month to this client's bill during summer. Never would have caught that without understanding the definition.
Coincident peak charges are becoming more common as utilities try to manage grid stress. Always check if there's both a customer peak charge AND a coincident peak charge - they're often separate line items.