OpenEI MCP Server for LangChain 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
LangChain is the leading Python framework for composable LLM applications. Connect OpenEI through Vinkius and LangChain agents can call every tool natively. combine them with retrievers, memory, and output parsers for sophisticated AI pipelines.
ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER
Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
import asyncio
from langchain_mcp_adapters.client import MultiServerMCPClient
from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI
from langgraph.prebuilt import create_react_agent
async def main():
# Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
async with MultiServerMCPClient({
"openei": {
"transport": "streamable_http",
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp",
}
}) as client:
tools = client.get_tools()
agent = create_react_agent(
ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-4o"),
tools,
)
response = await agent.ainvoke({
"messages": [{
"role": "user",
"content": "Using OpenEI, show me what tools are available.",
}]
})
print(response["messages"][-1].content)
asyncio.run(main())
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About OpenEI MCP Server
Access the National Utility Rate Database through OpenEI — the most comprehensive source for US electricity rate data maintained by the Department of Energy. Connect OpenEI to your AI agent to instantly query utility rates by address or coordinates, analyze rate structures across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, retrieve complete tariff details including time-of-use periods and demand charges — all through natural conversation.
LangChain's ecosystem of 500+ components combines seamlessly with OpenEI through native MCP adapters. Connect 10 tools via Vinkius and use ReAct agents, Plan-and-Execute strategies, or custom agent architectures. with LangSmith tracing giving full visibility into every tool call, latency, and token cost.
What you can do
- Location-Based Rate Lookup — Find all applicable utility rates by providing a street address or GPS coordinates.
- Sector-Specific Rates — Query residential, commercial, or industrial electricity rates separately.
- Complete Tariff Analysis — Retrieve full rate structures including time-of-use periods, seasonal variations, demand charges, and energy charges.
- Utility Company Research — Search and browse US electric utilities, get company details and service territories.
- Solar Feasibility Studies — Instant rate quotes for solar ROI calculations and net metering analysis.
- Energy Cost Modeling — Access detailed rate structures for accurate energy cost projections.
- Demand Charge Analysis — Understand demand charges for commercial and industrial facilities.
- Rate Comparison — Compare rate options across different utilities and locations.
The OpenEI MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to LangChain in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect OpenEI to LangChain via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the OpenEI MCP Server with LangChain.
Install dependencies
Run pip install langchain langchain-mcp-adapters langgraph langchain-openai
Replace the token
Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token
Run the agent
Save the code and run python agent.py
Explore tools
The agent discovers 10 tools from OpenEI via MCP
Why Use LangChain with the OpenEI MCP Server
LangChain provides unique advantages when paired with OpenEI through the Model Context Protocol.
The largest ecosystem of integrations, chains, and agents. combine OpenEI MCP tools with 500+ LangChain components
Agent architecture supports ReAct, Plan-and-Execute, and custom strategies with full MCP tool access at every step
LangSmith tracing gives you complete visibility into tool calls, latencies, and token usage for production debugging
Memory and conversation persistence let agents maintain context across OpenEI queries for multi-turn workflows
OpenEI + LangChain Use Cases
Practical scenarios where LangChain combined with the OpenEI MCP Server delivers measurable value.
RAG with live data: combine OpenEI tool results with vector store retrievals for answers grounded in both real-time and historical data
Autonomous research agents: LangChain agents query OpenEI, synthesize findings, and generate comprehensive research reports
Multi-tool orchestration: chain OpenEI tools with web scrapers, databases, and calculators in a single agent run
Production monitoring: use LangSmith to trace every OpenEI tool call, measure latency, and optimize your agent's performance
OpenEI MCP Tools for LangChain (10)
These 10 tools become available when you connect OpenEI to LangChain via MCP:
get_commercial_rates
Use lat/lon or address to identify the location. Returns all available commercial tariffs including general service, large power, and time-of-use rates. Essential for commercial solar installations, demand response analysis, and business energy cost modeling. Get commercial electricity rates for a location
get_industrial_rates
Industrial rates typically include the lowest per-kWh costs but may have complex demand charges and power factor adjustments. Use for heavy manufacturing energy cost analysis, load forecasting, and industrial facility site selection. Get industrial electricity rates for a location
get_rate_detail
Returns the full rate structure including energy charges, demand charges, fixed charges, minimum charges, time-of-use periods, seasonal variations, and applicable taxes. Use this after identifying a rate ID from get_utility_rates to get exhaustive details for cost modeling or bill analysis. Get detailed information about a specific utility rate/tariff
get_rates_by_address
Simply provide a street address and the API will geocode it and identify the serving utility and applicable rates. Perfect for solar installers providing instant rate quotes to customers, or homeowners checking their electricity rates. Returns all available rate options at that address. Get utility rates for a specific street address
get_rates_by_coordinates
Automatically identifies the serving utility for that location and returns applicable rates. Essential for solar installers, energy consultants, and site selection analysis. Returns residential, commercial, and industrial rates if available. Set detail=full for complete rate structures. Get utility rates for a location using GPS coordinates
get_residential_rates
Perfect for homeowners comparing electricity costs, evaluating solar ROI, or understanding time-of-use rate options. Returns all residential tariffs including tiered rates, time-of-use plans, and electric vehicle charging rates. Get residential electricity rates for a location
get_utility_detail
Returns the utility name, address, contact information, service territory, owned generation resources, and associated rates. Use this to research utility companies, understand their generation mix, or identify all rates offered by a specific utility. Get detailed information about a specific utility company
get_utility_rates
Provide either latitude/longitude coordinates or a physical address to find applicable utility rates. Filter by sector (residential, commercial, industrial) to get specific rate types. Use detail=full to retrieve complete rate structures including time-of-use periods, seasonal variations, demand charges, and energy charges. This is essential for solar analysis, energy cost modeling, and economic feasibility studies. Sector values: 1=Residential, 2=Commercial, 3=Industrial. Get utility rate information for a specific location
list_utilities
Filter by state, country, or utility name to find specific companies. Returns utility names, addresses, company IDs, and service territories. Use this to identify utility companies for research or to get company IDs for further queries. Use limit and offset for pagination through large result sets. List electric utility companies in the OpenEI database
search_utilities_by_name
Useful for finding the correct utility when you know part of the company name but not the ID. Returns matching utilities with their IDs, addresses, and service areas. Use the returned IDs for detailed queries. Search for utility companies by name
Example Prompts for OpenEI in LangChain
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your LangChain agent to start working with OpenEI immediately.
"What are the residential electricity rates at 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, CO?"
"Show me all utilities in California and their average commercial rates."
"Get the complete rate structure for commercial time-of-use rates from PG&E."
Troubleshooting OpenEI MCP Server with LangChain
Common issues when connecting OpenEI to LangChain through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
MultiServerMCPClient not found
pip install langchain-mcp-adaptersOpenEI + LangChain FAQ
Common questions about integrating OpenEI MCP Server with LangChain.
How does LangChain connect to MCP servers?
langchain-mcp-adapters to create an MCP client. LangChain discovers all tools and wraps them as native LangChain tools compatible with any agent type.Which LangChain agent types work with MCP?
Can I trace MCP tool calls in LangSmith?
Connect OpenEI with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect OpenEI to LangChain
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 10 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.