# OpenEI Utility Rates Scraper (`parseforge/openei-utility-rates-scraper`) Actor Scrape US electricity utility rate structures from OpenEI. Get tiered pricing, time-of-use schedules, demand charges, fixed fees, and energy rate breakdowns for 150+ utilities covering 70% of US electricity load. Essential for solar ROI and EV charging analysis. - **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/openei-utility-rates-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Other - **Stats:** 2 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $6.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ![ParseForge Banner](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg) ## 🔌 OpenEI Utility Rates Scraper Whether you're a solar installer comparing utility rates, an energy consultant analyzing tariff structures, or a researcher studying electricity pricing across the country, this tool makes it easy to collect structured utility rate data from the OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database. > **The OpenEI Utility Rates Scraper collects electricity rate structures from thousands of U.S. utilities including rate names, utilities, sectors, energy rate schedules, demand charges, fixed charges, and detailed tariff breakdowns.** ### ✨ What Does It Do - ⚡ **Rate structures** - collect detailed energy rate tiers, time-of-use schedules, and pricing breakdowns for utilities across the U.S. - 🏢 **Utility information** - get utility names, EIA IDs, sectors (residential, commercial, industrial), and approval status - 💰 **Charge details** - extract fixed charges, demand rates, demand units, and peak capacity limits - 📅 **Rate schedules** - gather weekday and weekend energy schedules and demand schedules - 🔋 **DG rules** - find distributed generation rules and net metering policies - 📊 **Comprehensive coverage** - access over 50,000 rate structures from utilities nationwide ### 🔧 Input - **Max Items** - how many utility rate records to collect (free users get 10 items, paid users up to 1,000,000) ```json { "maxItems": 100 } ```` ### 📊 Output Each record includes up to 30+ data fields. Download as JSON, CSV, or Excel. | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | 📋 label | Rate plan label/name | | 🏢 utility | Utility company name | | 🔢 eiaid | EIA utility identifier | | 🏭 sector | Customer sector (Residential, Commercial, Industrial) | | ✅ approved | Whether the rate is approved | | 📅 startdate | Rate effective start date | | 💰 fixedchargefirstmeter | Fixed monthly charge for first meter | | 📊 energyratestructure | Tiered energy rate breakdown | | 📈 demandratestructure | Demand charge rate tiers | | ⚡ demandrateunit | Unit for demand charges (e.g., kW) | | 🔋 peakkwcapacitymax | Maximum peak kW capacity | | 📝 description | Rate plan description | | 🕐 scrapedAt | Timestamp when the data was collected | ```json { "label": "Residential Service - Schedule R", "name": "Residential", "utility": "Pacific Gas & Electric Co", "eiaid": 14328, "sector": "Residential", "approved": true, "startdate": "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z", "sourceparent": "https://www.pge.com/tariffs", "fixedchargefirstmeter": 10.00, "fixedchargeunits": "$/month", "energyratestructure": [[{"rate": 0.25, "unit": "kWh"}]], "revisions": 3, "scrapedAt": "2026-04-09T12:00:00.000Z" } ``` ### 💎 Why Choose the OpenEI Utility Rates Scraper? | Feature | Our Tool | Manual OpenEI Browsing | |---------|----------|------------------------| | Batch collection | ✅ Up to 1M records | ❌ Browse one rate at a time | | All utilities | ✅ Every U.S. utility | ⚠️ Search one by one | | Rate structures | ✅ Full tiered breakdowns | ⚠️ Click into each rate | | Structured output | ✅ JSON, CSV, Excel | ❌ Web pages only | | Automated scheduling | ✅ Monthly monitoring | ❌ Manual visits | | Nationwide coverage | ✅ 50,000+ rate plans | ⚠️ Paginated search results | ### 📋 How to Use 1. **Sign Up** - [Create a free account w/ $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) 2. **Configure** - set how many utility rate records you want to collect 3. **Run It** - click "Start" and get structured utility rate data in seconds No coding, no setup, no manual browsing required. ### 🎯 Business Use Cases - ☀️ **Solar companies** - compare utility rates across regions to identify the best markets for solar installations - 💡 **Energy consultants** - analyze rate structures for clients to recommend optimal tariff plans and energy savings - 🏢 **Commercial real estate** - evaluate electricity costs across markets for site selection and operating expense forecasts - 📊 **Energy researchers** - study rate design trends, time-of-use adoption, and demand charge structures nationwide - 🔋 **Battery storage companies** - identify high demand-charge markets where energy storage delivers the greatest value - 🏛️ **Regulators and utilities** - benchmark rate designs against peer utilities and track tariff changes over time ### 🔗 Integrate OpenEI Utility Rates Scraper with any app - [Make](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/make) - Automate utility rate monitoring workflows - [Zapier](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/zapier) - Get alerts when new rate structures are published - [Slack](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/slack) - Get notified in your team channel - [Google Drive](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/drive) - Export rate data to spreadsheets - [Webhooks](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/webhooks) - Trigger actions when runs complete ### 💡 Recommended Actors Looking for more data collection tools? Check out these related actors: | Actor | Description | Link | |-------|-------------|------| | GSA eLibrary Scraper | Collect government contract data from GSA | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/gsa-elibrary-scraper) | | Greatschools Scraper | Collect school ratings and data | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/greatschools-scraper) | | FINRA BrokerCheck Scraper | Look up broker and advisor registration data | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/finra-brokercheck-scraper) | | FAA Aircraft Registry Scraper | Extract aircraft registration records | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/faa-aircraft-registry-scraper) | | Hubspot Marketplace Scraper | Collect app listings from Hubspot | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/hubspot-marketplace-scraper) | **Pro Tip:** 💡 Browse our complete collection of [data collection actors](https://apify.com/parseforge) to find the perfect tool for your needs. ### 🆘 Need Help? - Visit the [Apify documentation](https://docs.apify.com) for platform guides - Contact us at [Tally contact form](https://tally.so/r/BzdKgA) ### ⚠️ Disclaimer > This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to OpenEI, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Department of Energy, or any government agency. It accesses only publicly available data. # Actor input Schema ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000 ## Actor input object example ```json { "maxItems": 10 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `overview` (type: `string`): Overview # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "maxItems": 10 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("parseforge/openei-utility-rates-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "maxItems": 10 } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("parseforge/openei-utility-rates-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "maxItems": 10 }' | apify call parseforge/openei-utility-rates-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/openei-utility-rates-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "OpenEI Utility Rates Scraper", "description": "Scrape US electricity utility rate structures from OpenEI. Get tiered pricing, time-of-use schedules, demand charges, fixed fees, and energy rate breakdowns for 150+ utilities covering 70% of US electricity load. Essential for solar ROI and EV charging analysis.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "3KQk8E66yLOnbXD84" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/parseforge~openei-utility-rates-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-parseforge-openei-utility-rates-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/parseforge~openei-utility-rates-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-parseforge-openei-utility-rates-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/parseforge~openei-utility-rates-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-parseforge-openei-utility-rates-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000000, "type": "integer", "description": "Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```