RI Energy 2026 Annual Retail Rate Filing: Delivery Charges Behind Your Supply Rate

Two dockets, two parts of your bill

Rhode Island cannabis operators often watch supply rate headlines and miss delivery filings. Docket 26-05-EL is Rhode Island Energy's 2026 annual retail rate filing, which updates delivery tariff charges [ri-26-05-filing]. Last Resort Service supply rates are set in separate dockets like 26-03-EL (summer) and 26-27-EL (winter) [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

Delivery charges apply to every customer. Supply charges apply only if you stay on default LRS or reflect your ESCO contract price if you shop.

What the annual retail rate filing covers

The annual retail rate filing adjusts Rhode Island Energy's delivery revenue requirement [ri-26-05-filing]. Typical components include:

Component	What it pays for	Shoppable?
Distribution delivery (kWh)	Local wires, maintenance	No
Demand charge (kW)	Peak capacity on local system	No
Customer charge	Fixed monthly service	No
Standard offer / LRS (kWh)	Default supply procurement	Yes (via ESCO)
Transition / policy surcharges	State programs	No

A cultivator who switched to a competitive supplier eliminated the LRS line but still pays every delivery row [ri-26-05-filing].

Why delivery matters more for large grows

Indoor cultivation facilities draw high peak demand from simultaneous lighting and HVAC. Demand charges multiply peak kW by a tariff rate on the delivery side.

Assume a 250 kW peak facility on Rhode Island Energy's large commercial schedule:

Line	Calculation (illustration)	Monthly
Demand	250 kW x ~$16/kW	$4,000
Delivery energy	300,000 kWh x ~$0.04/kWh	$12,000
Customer charge	Fixed	~$200
Delivery subtotal		~$16,200

Annual retail rate filing changes adjust the per-kW and per-kWh delivery rates in this stack [ri-26-05-filing]. A 5% delivery increase adds $810 per month in this example before supply is counted.

EIA reported Rhode Island's average commercial price at 22.14 cents per kWh all-in [eia-epm-5-6-a]. Delivery often accounts for 40 to 55 percent of that total for demand-metered accounts.

Worked example: comparing two bills

Assume two identical 20,000 sq ft grows at 280 kW peak and 336,000 kWh monthly use. One stays on winter LRS at 17.7 cents. One switched to a fixed ESCO at 15.2 cents. Illustration only.

Line item	On LRS	On ESCO
Supply	$59,472 (336,000 x $0.177)	$51,072 (336,000 x $0.152)
Delivery (same both)	~$18,500	~$18,500
Total	~$77,972	~$69,572

Delivery from Docket 26-05-EL is identical. The $8,400 monthly gap is supply only. Shopping supply does not reduce the $18,500 delivery stack.

Reading Docket 26-05-EL

The filing document on the PUC website lists proposed delivery rate schedules by customer class [ri-26-05-filing]. Look for:

• Changes to demand charge rates ($/kW)
• Changes to delivery energy rates ($/kWh)
• New or modified surcharges
• Effective date of approved rates

Commercial cannabis facilities typically appear under Rate B (large general service) or similar C&I schedules. Confirm your schedule code on the bill header.

Coordinating with LRS windows

Rhode Island resets supply twice yearly [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. Delivery rates from 26-05-EL may take effect on a different calendar date. Your bill can change on two schedules in the same quarter:

Event	Docket	Typical timing
Delivery rate update	26-05-EL	PUC order date
Summer LRS	26-03-EL	April 1
Winter LRS	26-27-EL	October 1

Plan supply contract renewals around LRS dates. Plan capital and efficiency budgets around delivery rate effective dates.

Reducing delivery exposure

You cannot shop delivery, but you can manage it:

1. Stagger lighting across rooms to lower coincident peak kW.
2. Pre-cool or pre-heat during off-peak hours if your rate schedule offers time-of-use differentiation.
3. Right-size HVAC to avoid overshoot demand during startup.
4. Track interval data to find the 15-minute interval that sets your billing peak.

Supply shopping remains valuable because it attacks the other major bill stack. See Rhode Island switching guide and the winter LRS analysis.

Rhode Island cannabis operators: both dockets matter

A new cultivation license holder setting up in 2026 needs to budget both delivery (from 26-05-EL and future annual filings) and supply (from LRS or a competitive contract). Underestimating delivery demand charges is a common reason facility pro formas miss actual operating costs.

For statewide rate context, see Rhode Island commercial electricity rates. For load-specific guidance, see Rhode Island cultivation facility energy.

Historical annual filing pattern

Rhode Island Energy files annual retail rate updates on a recurring schedule [ri-26-05-filing]. Cultivators can predict delivery review periods year over year even when exact percentages change. Add April and October LRS windows [ri-lrs-26-27-filing] and you have four dates that matter for Rhode Island energy budgeting.

Commenting on PUC proceedings

The PUC accepts written comments on rate filings [ri-26-05-filing]. Commercial customers may describe how proposed delivery increases affect employment and expansion plans. Specific kW and monthly dollar figures strengthen comments more than general opposition.

Esco contract alignment with 26-05-EL

If your competitive supply contract expires mid-year, delivery changes from 26-05-EL still apply on the utility bill [ri-26-05-filing]. Coordinate ESCO renewal with both the annual delivery filing effective date and the nearest LRS reset [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

Separating delivery from supply on Rhode Island bills

Rhode Island Energy bills combine delivery charges set in the annual retail rate filing with supply from Last Resort Service or a competitive supplier [ri-26-05-filing]. When delivery increases in docket 26-05-EL, shopping supply becomes more valuable because it is the only line item you control.

Pull the tariff schedule for your rate class (G-32, G-41, or larger demand-metered service) and identify which lines are delivery versus supply before comparing third-party offers.

Rate B demand charges and ratchet risk

Large general service accounts on Rhode Island Energy often appear under Rate B or similar demand-metered schedules [ri-26-05-filing]. The annual retail rate filing adjusts the dollars-per-kW demand rate that multiplies your billing peak [ri-26-05-filing]. Some schedules include ratchets that maintain a minimum billing demand after a high peak month. Check your tariff sheet for ratchet language tied to the filing.

A cultivator that peaks at 320 kW in August may pay demand charges on 280 kW or more in winter months if a ratchet applies, even when actual peak drops to 240 kW [ri-26-05-filing]. Staggering room energization limits ratchet exposure more than one heroic curtailment day.

Solar and on-site generation on delivery bills

On-site solar reduces kWh drawn from the grid but may not reduce demand charges unless paired with storage that caps interval peaks [ri-26-05-filing]. Net metering rules and standby charges for backup service appear in separate PUC proceedings. Delivery charges from Docket 26-05-EL apply to the net metered account structure on your bill [ri-26-05-filing].

Model solar as kWh offset first. Then model whether battery discharge during your highest fifteen-minute interval lowers billing demand enough to pay back the storage investment [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Filing PUC comments as a commercial customer

The Rhode Island PUC accepts written comments on rate filings [ri-26-05-filing]. Cultivation operators can describe how proposed delivery increases affect hiring and expansion plans. Include your rate schedule code, peak kW, and monthly delivery dollars from your most recent bill [ri-26-05-filing].

Comments that cite specific tariff lines from the 26-05-EL filing document carry more weight than form letters. Reference the proposed change to demand charge rates for Rate B if that is your schedule [ri-26-05-filing]. Delivery outcomes from this docket apply whether you shop supply through an ESCO or stay on winter LRS [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

Transition charges and policy surcharges on delivery

Rhode Island Energy bills include transition and policy surcharges separate from energy and demand [ri-26-05-filing]. The annual retail rate filing may adjust these lines alongside per-kW and per-kWh delivery rates [ri-26-05-filing]. Review the full tariff sheet in the 26-05-EL document, not just the demand charge table.

Policy surcharges fund state programs and grid investments [ri-26-05-filing]. They apply to competitive supply customers the same as LRS customers because they sit on the delivery portion of the bill [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

Building a monthly budget spreadsheet

Split your Rhode Island Energy bill into four rows: delivery demand, delivery energy, supply, and surcharges [ri-26-05-filing]. When 26-05-EL changes delivery rates, update only the first two rows. When LRS resets in October or April, update the supply row [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. This structure prevents double-counting when both dockets move in the same quarter [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Rhode Island's geographic footprint means nearly every cannabis operator sits in Rhode Island Energy territory [ri-26-05-filing]. You cannot offset delivery increases by switching utilities within the state. Supply shopping and demand management are the only levers until you change load or improve efficiency [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

Download the approved tariff pages from the 26-05-EL filing when the PUC order publishes and archive them alongside your supplier contracts [ri-26-05-filing]. Future annual filings will reference the same schedule structure [eia-epm-5-6-a].