Connecticut Commercial Electricity Rates for Cannabis Facilities: Standard Service, Eversource Classes, and ISO-NE

Connecticut vs. the U.S. average

Sector	Connecticut, June 2026	U.S. average, June 2026
Commercial	19.62 cents/kWh	14.19 cents/kWh
Industrial	16.70 cents/kWh	not in state file

Source: EIA Table 5.6.A [eia-epm-5-6-a]. Connecticut commercial runs about 5.4 cents above the U.S. average, roughly 38 percent higher [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Eversource delivery classes

Rate	Threshold	Distribution demand	Transmission demand
Rate 30	Max demand under 200 kW	$14.22/kW over 2 kW	$12.84/kW
Rate 35	Under 200 kW, higher customer charge	$8.69/kW	$14.58/kW
Rate 56	350 kW to under 1,000 kW, non-manufacturer	$7.91/kVA	$14.93/kVA
Rate 58	1,000 kW+, non-manufacturer	$7.53/kVA	$17.04/kVA

Source: Eversource Connecticut rate summary, May 1, 2026 [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Rates 55/57 serve manufacturers only [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. TOU peak: weekdays noon to 8 p.m. [eversource-ct-rates-2026].

Standard Service supply benchmarks

Utility / rate	Jul-Dec 2026 Standard Service
Eversource Rate 30	11.229 cents/kWh
Eversource Rate 27/37 peak	13.374 cents/kWh
UI Rate GS	11.9022 cents/kWh
UI Rate GST peak	13.9333 cents/kWh

Source: Energizect Rate Board [energizect-rate-board-business]. Resets January 1 and July 1 [energizect-rate-board-business].

500 kW Last Resort Service line

Monthly demand	Default supply
Under 500 kW	Standard Service, semi-annual reset [energizect-rate-board-business]
500 kW and above	Last Resort Service, monthly pricing [energizect-rate-board-business]

ISO-NE and seasonality

Connecticut is inside ISO New England [energizect-rate-board-business]. Capacity and transmission pass through on delivery bills. With 607 cooling degree days [noaa-cag-connecticut], cultivation facilities often peak in summer when dehumidification and lighting coincide.

How to read a Connecticut cannabis bill

Typical commercial accounts show delivery energy per kWh, delivery demand per kW or kVA, Standard Service or supplier supply, and PURA-approved riders [energizect-rate-board-business]. Eversource may include a negative FMCC Delivery Charge per kWh that offsets part of delivery [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Compare supplier quotes on the supply line only after separating FMCC and demand [eversource-ct-rates-2026].

Cannabis establishments must file annual electricity usage under C.G.S. Section 21a-421m [ct-reraca-chapter-420h]. Use the same billing export for procurement and compliance [ct-reraca-chapter-420h].

Public Act 25-173 and future Standard Service

Public Act 25-173 requires at least 25 percent dynamic market purchases in Standard Service procurement and allows contracts up to three years [ecm-ct-pa-25-173]. PURA implements changes in Docket 12-06-02RE04 [ecm-ct-pa-25-173]. Sub-500 kW facilities may see Standard Service behave more like a blended market product [ecm-ct-pa-25-173]. Fixed supplier contracts hedge that shift [ecm-ct-pa-25-173].

Worked demand example on Rate 56

Assume 520 kVA peak on Rate 58 non-manufacturer (inputs): distribution 520 x $7.53/kVA equals about $3,916 per month; transmission 520 x $17.04/kVA equals about $8,861 per month [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Combined demand before energy exceeds $153,000 per year (assumed). Supply on Last Resort Service floats monthly above 500 kW [energizect-rate-board-business]. A fixed supplier contract hedges LRS; peak management hedges demand [eversource-ct-rates-2026].

United Illuminating delivery classes

UI serves 17 coastal towns around New Haven and Bridgeport [ui-pricing]. Business classes are Rate GS General Service, Rate GST time-of-use, and Rate LPT large power time-of-use [ui-pricing]. GST and LPT peak hours run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays [ui-pricing]. Per-kW distribution and transmission demand for GS, GST, and LPT should be read from the Schedule of Rates and Riders effective September 1, 2026 linked from the UI pricing page [ui-pricing].

Rate	Standard Service Jul-Dec 2026	Notes
Rate GS	11.9022 cents/kWh	Flat supply for accounts under 500 kW [energizect-rate-board-business]
Rate GST peak	13.9333 cents/kWh	Weekday daytime peak [energizect-rate-board-business]
Rate GST off-peak	10.9333 cents/kWh	Nights and weekends [energizect-rate-board-business]

UI Standard Service is set by competitive bid for six-month terms, the same January and July reset cadence as Eversource [ui-pricing]. Accounts at 500 kW monthly demand and above take Last Resort Service priced monthly instead [ui-pricing].

Industrial vs commercial averages

Connecticut industrial customers averaged 16.70 cents per kWh in June 2026 versus 19.62 cents for commercial [eia-epm-5-6-a]. Cultivation facilities with flat lighting load sometimes track closer to industrial pricing on the bill, but rate class assignment depends on utility tariff rules, not EIA sector labels [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. A facility on Eversource Rate 56 non-manufacturer pays per-kVA demand that can exceed small-commercial delivery even when kWh per pound looks efficient [eversource-ct-rates-2026].

ISO-NE capacity and transmission on the delivery bill

Connecticut sits entirely inside ISO New England [energizect-rate-board-business]. Forward Capacity Market charges and transmission costs flow through the Eversource or UI delivery bill, not the supplier quote, unless the contract explicitly bundles them [energizect-rate-board-business]. Compare supplier offers on the generation and capacity lines you control; model delivery demand separately using the tariff tables above [eversource-ct-rates-2026].

Winter heating load across New England tightens capacity prices. Facilities that stay on Standard Service or Last Resort Service ride those swings on the supply line. Fixed multi-year supplier contracts hedge supply; they do not cap delivery demand set by Rate 30 or Rate 56 peaks [energizect-rate-board-business].

Worked example: Rate 30 cultivator under 200 kW

Assume a Stamford-area micro-cultivator on Eversource Rate 30 with 120 kW monthly peak and 900,000 kWh per year (all inputs):

Line item	Calculation
Distribution demand	118 kW x $14.22/kW = $1,678/month [eversource-ct-rates-2026]
Transmission demand	118 kW x $12.84/kW = $1,515/month [eversource-ct-rates-2026]
Standard Service supply (Jul-Dec 2026)	900,000 kWh x $0.11229 = $101,061/year [energizect-rate-board-business]
All-in at CT commercial average	900,000 kWh x $0.1962 = $176,580/year [eia-epm-5-6-a]

Demand charges alone exceed $38,000 per year before energy in this example (assumed). Beating Standard Service by two cents per kWh saves $18,000 per year on supply (assumed). Peak shaving from 120 kW to 100 kW saves about $560 per month in combined distribution and transmission demand (assumed).

EnergizeCT and C-PACE for rate-class planning

EnergizeCT Energy Opportunities offers up to 40 percent of installed cost for LED, HVAC, chillers, and custom measures on existing business facilities [energizect-energy-opportunities]. Rebates apply on Eversource and UI delivery accounts regardless of supply choice [energizect-energy-opportunities]. Connecticut C-PACE through the Green Bank finances efficiency and solar on owner-occupied buildings repaid through a property assessment [ct-green-bank-cpace]. Owner-operators planning canopy expansion should stack C-PACE capital with supplier procurement so HVAC right-sizing happens before a Rate 30 to Rate 56 class migration [ct-green-bank-cpace].

Cannabis reporting and procurement alignment

RERACA requires cannabis establishments to file annual electricity usage reports under C.G.S. Section 21a-421m [ct-reraca-chapter-420h]. Export the same twelve-month billing data you use for supplier benchmarking into the DCP compliance folder [ct-reraca-chapter-420h]. Connecticut has not adopted a Massachusetts-style lighting power density cap in statute; energy standards for cultivators remain under DCP regulations [ct-reraca-chapter-420h].

ISO-NE capacity pass-through on Connecticut delivery

Connecticut sits entirely inside ISO New England [energizect-rate-board-business]. Forward Capacity Market charges and regional network transmission costs appear on Eversource and United Illuminating delivery tariffs, not on supplier supply quotes alone [energizect-rate-board-business]. A fixed supplier contract should state whether capacity and transmission are bundled or passed through each month [ct-pura-choose-supplier]. Cultivation facilities with high load factor still pay capacity components in the delivery stack even when energy kWh is flat [eversource-ct-rates-2026].

Compare Connecticut's 19.62 cents per kWh commercial average to Massachusetts at 24.52 cents and Rhode Island at 22.70 cents in June 2026 [eia-epm-5-6-a]. Rankings do not predict your account: Rate 30 versus Rate 56 class placement and Standard Service versus Last Resort Service default dominate [energizect-rate-board-business].

Worked demand stack on Rate 30

Assume a 120 kW peak on Eversource Rate 30 with 118 kW above the 2 kW minimum (input assumption). Distribution demand at $14.22 per kW yields about $1,678 per month [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Electric System Improvements at $3.78 per kW adds about $446 [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Transmission at $12.84 per kW adds about $1,515 [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Competitive Transition Assessment at $1.47 per kW adds about $173 [eversource-ct-rates-2026]. Supply at 11.229 cents per kWh Standard Service on 50,000 kWh adds about $5,615 [energizect-rate-board-business]. Supplier choice changes only the supply line, not the four demand-based delivery components [ct-pura-choose-supplier].

PURA supplier handbook and consolidated billing audit

Licensed suppliers enroll through PURA rules in the Electric Supplier/Aggregator Handbook [ct-pura-supplier-handbook]. Consolidated billing puts supply on the Eversource or UI invoice [ct-pura-choose-supplier]. Accounts payable should reconcile the supply line to the contract price within five business days each month [ct-pura-supplier-handbook]. Type II commercial customers on quarterly Last Resort Service resets need a separate benchmark column in the spreadsheet [energizect-rate-board-business].

Additional procurement and tariff notes

Public Act 25-173 changes how Standard Service blends fixed and dynamic purchases [ecm-ct-pa-25-173]. Facilities comparing multi-year supplier contracts should model both July and January Rate Board resets [energizect-rate-board-business]. Last Resort Service accounts need monthly supply review regardless [energizect-rate-board-business].

Where to go next

Eversource Connecticut, United Illuminating, switching guide, cultivation facility energy, and demand charges explained.