State Benchmarks for Commercial Buyers
| Market | Commercial Apr 2026 | Commercial Apr 2025 | Industrial Apr 2026 | Procurement Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. total | 13.51¢ | 12.89¢ | 8.66¢ | +4.8% commercial YoY; -2.9% from March |
| California | 25.75¢ | 23.41¢ | 19.87¢ | Highest large-state commercial benchmark in this tracker |
| New York | 21.88¢ | 19.35¢ | 8.62¢ | +13.1% YoY; still a high-cost state benchmark |
| Florida | 11.56¢ | 11.54¢ | 9.23¢ | Flat YoY; demand-charge and fuel-cost riders still matter |
| Texas | 8.35¢ | 8.66¢ | 6.33¢ | Low average benchmark; volatility and 4CP risk remain separate |
| North Dakota | 7.05¢ | 6.97¢ | 8.21¢ | Lowest priority-market commercial benchmark |
| Montana | 12.66¢ | 11.30¢ | 5.99¢ | Industrial tariff advantage remains intact |
| New Mexico | 11.08¢ | 10.80¢ | 6.27¢ | Sharp March-to-April move; still below U.S. commercial average |
| Ohio | 13.65¢ | 11.00¢ | 9.95¢ | +24.1% YoY; PJM capacity context deserves review |
| Pennsylvania | 13.68¢ | 11.98¢ | 9.82¢ | +14.2% YoY; default service and capacity pass-through risk |
| Illinois | 13.89¢ | 12.77¢ | 9.74¢ | +8.8% YoY; ComEd/PJM and downstate MISO paths differ |
What Changed in the June EIA Release
The June 25 EIA update is important because it replaced March benchmarks with April 2026 state data. The national commercial average moved to 13.51 cents/kWh, compared with 12.89 cents/kWh in April 2025. EIA notes that it calculates average retail revenue per kWh from sales revenues and volumes, so these figures are best read as bill-level benchmarks rather than tariff quotes.
The most useful signal is dispersion. California remains far above the U.S. commercial average, while Texas and North Dakota sit far below it. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York show why a national average alone is not enough: local capacity, delivery, utility, and load-shape exposure can overwhelm the headline cents/kWh number.
Why Your Bill Can Differ From the EIA Average
Rate class and demand
EIA averages blend many customers; demand charges and tariff class can move an individual bill far above or below the state benchmark.
Delivery and riders
Transmission, distribution, capacity, public-policy riders, and utility surcharges can matter as much as the supply rate.
Usage timing
Load factor, seasonal peaks, time-of-use exposure, and coincident-peak behavior change the delivered cost per kWh.
Contract terms
Supplier pass-through clauses, renewal timing, index products, and fixed-price adders determine how market movement reaches the invoice.
Buyer Playbook by Market Type
- High-rate coastal markets: In California and New York, supply shopping alone will not solve the bill. Review delivery riders, time-of-use exposure, demand charges, and building electrification penalties before locking a fixed commodity product.
- Volatile low-rate markets: Texas has a low average revenue benchmark, but index exposure, ancillary services, and 4CP transmission allocation can move the actual invoice quickly. Fixed-price energy plus peak-management rules remains the cleaner 2026 posture.
- PJM capacity-exposed markets: Ohio and Pennsylvania are near the national commercial benchmark but up sharply year over year. Treat their EIA averages as a baseline and separately model capacity, transmission, default-service, and supplier pass-through language.
- Industrial site-selection markets: North Dakota, Montana, and New Mexico still offer strong industrial benchmarks, but interconnection timelines and transmission upgrade deposits matter as much as the nominal cents/kWh rate.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, April 2026 data released June 25, 2026; EIA Electricity Monthly Update; EIA Open Data API retail sales series cross-check retrieved July 1, 2026.