Colorado · City
Commercial electricity in Thornton, Colorado
Which electric utilities serve businesses in Thornton, what each charged commercial customers in EIA’s 2025 data, and where Colorado’s prices stand.
EIA lists 5 electric utilities in Adams County, which contains Thornton. Xcel Energy Colorado, the largest by commercial customers, averaged 12.49¢ per kWh for them in 2025. Colorado’s average commercial price was 13.14¢ per kWh over the 12 months to August 2026.
Source: EIA Form EIA-861 (2025) and Form EIA-861M; U.S. Census Bureau
Electric utilities serving Thornton
These are the utilities EIA records in Adams County. EIA lists a utility in a county when it has customers anywhere in it, so this is everyone with a presence, ordered by commercial customers across Colorado, not a statement about any one address. Prices are EIA’s averages over all of each utility’s commercial customers: revenue divided by kWh.
| Utility | Type | Commercial customers in CO | Average commercial price, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xcel Energy Colorado | Investor-owned | 225,020 | 12.49¢ |
| CORE Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | 14,396 | 12.67¢ |
| United Power | Cooperative | 11,488 | 12.98¢ |
| Morgan County Rural Elec Assn | Cooperative | 2,167 | 9.68¢ |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | fewer than 500 commercial customers |
Find the list for a single ZIP Code with the utility lookup, or set utilities side by side with the comparison tool.
What businesses in Thornton pay
Across Colorado, businesses paid an average 13.14¢ per kWh over the 12 months to August 2026, 5.3% below the U.S. average of 13.87¢, and up 9.0% on the 12 months before. That ranks Colorado 24 of 51, where 1 is the highest price. In 2025 the average commercial account in the state used 4,304 kWh a month, about $532 a month at the state price; that is a mean pulled up by a few very large users, so most small businesses use less.
A city has no price of its own: two businesses on the same street can pay very different amounts per kWh, because the rate schedule, the size of the peak and, where it is allowed, the supply contract matter more than the location. The Colorado page has the state’s price history since 2010 and every utility with at least 500 commercial customers.
Choosing a supplier in Thornton
Colorado commercial accounts purchase supply from their regulated utility. Tariff fit, demand charges and efficiency programs are where commercial cost decisions are actually made.
Where prices are heading
EIA does not forecast single states. For the Mountain census division, which includes Colorado, its November 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook puts the average commercial price at 11.41¢ per kWh for 2026 and 11.54¢ for 2027, up 2.7% from 11.24¢ in 2025. The forecast for every region.
About Thornton
The Census Bureau estimates Thornton had 147,766 residents on July 1, 2025, up 3.9% from 142,162 in 2020. It lies in Adams County.
Other cities in Colorado
Common questions
- Who provides electricity to businesses in Thornton?
- EIA lists Xcel Energy Colorado, CORE Electric Cooperative, United Power and Morgan County Rural Elec Assn and 1 more as electric utilities in Adams County. Which one serves a given address depends on the street; the utility on an existing bill is the definitive answer, and a utility can confirm service for a new site.
- What is the average commercial electricity rate in Thornton?
- There is no official figure for a city. EIA publishes prices by state and by utility: Xcel Energy Colorado averaged 12.49¢ per kWh for its commercial customers in 2025, and Colorado averaged 13.14¢ over the 12 months to August 2026. A business’s own price depends on its rate schedule, its demand and, where it can choose, its supply contract.
- Can a business in Thornton choose its electricity supplier?
- Colorado commercial accounts purchase supply from their regulated utility. Tariff fit, demand charges and efficiency programs are where commercial cost decisions are actually made. The state page for Colorado explains how it works and who regulates it.
Averages describe Thornton; a bill describes your business. A person can read yours: rate schedule, demand, riders, contract window. Nobody calls unless you ask.