OpenEI MCP Server for Windsurf 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Windsurf brings agentic AI coding to a purpose-built IDE. Connect OpenEI through the Vinkius and Cascade will auto-discover every tool — ask questions, generate code, and act on live data without leaving your editor.
ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER
Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install OpenEI and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
{
"mcpServers": {
"openei": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* 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.
Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple OpenEI tool calls autonomously — query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste the Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 10 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.
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 Windsurf 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 Windsurf via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the OpenEI MCP Server with Windsurf.
Open MCP Settings
Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"
Add the server
Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json
Save and reload
Windsurf will detect the new server automatically
Start using OpenEI
Open Cascade and ask: "Using OpenEI, help me..." — 10 tools available
Why Use Windsurf with the OpenEI MCP Server
Windsurf provides unique advantages when paired with OpenEI through the Model Context Protocol.
Windsurf's Cascade agent autonomously chains multiple tool calls in sequence, solving complex multi-step tasks without manual intervention
Purpose-built for agentic workflows — Cascade understands context across your entire codebase and integrates MCP tools natively
JSON-based configuration means zero code changes: paste a URL, reload, and all 10 tools are immediately available
Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts
OpenEI + Windsurf Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Windsurf combined with the OpenEI MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Automated code generation: ask Cascade to fetch data from OpenEI and generate models, types, or handlers based on real API responses
Live debugging: query OpenEI tools mid-session to inspect production data while debugging without leaving the editor
Documentation generation: pull schema information from OpenEI and have Cascade generate comprehensive API docs automatically
Rapid prototyping: combine OpenEI data with Cascade's code generation to scaffold entire features in minutes
OpenEI MCP Tools for Windsurf (10)
These 10 tools become available when you connect OpenEI to Windsurf 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 Windsurf
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Windsurf 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 Windsurf
Common issues when connecting OpenEI to Windsurf through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Server not connecting
OpenEI + Windsurf FAQ
Common questions about integrating OpenEI MCP Server with Windsurf.
How does Windsurf discover MCP tools?
mcp_config.json file on startup and connects to each configured server via Streamable HTTP. Tools are listed in the MCP panel and available to Cascade automatically.Can Cascade chain multiple MCP tool calls?
Does Windsurf support multiple MCP servers?
mcp_config.json. Each server's tools appear in the MCP panel and Cascade can use tools from different servers in a single flow.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 Windsurf
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 10 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.