Central Rural Electric Cooperative
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative, founded 1938 and based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, serving more than 25,000 meters across seven central Oklahoma counties via over 4,000 miles of distribution line, with a wholly-owned fiber broadband subsidiary called Centranet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersStillwater, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Central Rural Electric Cooperative does
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative organized in 1938 and headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma, that delivers electricity to more than 25,000 meters across approximately 2,000 square miles spanning seven central Oklahoma counties (Garfield, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Noble, Pawnee, and Payne). The cooperative operates within a three-tier structure: power is generated by Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI, serving 2.1 million people across Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa), transmitted by KAMO Power, and finally distributed by Central through more than 4,000 miles of owned poles and power lines to residential, agricultural, and commercial members. Technology assets include Advanced Metering Infrastructure with remote disconnect/reconnect and automatic meter reading, the SmartHub web and mobile self-service platform, and a real-time outage viewer.
The cooperative generates revenue primarily through monthly metered electricity charges (a recurring subscription model with board- and regulator-approved rates), supplemented by a one-time $50 membership fee, $25 service initiation fee, and ancillary fees (security deposits scaled to credit tier, 1.5% late fees, tampering and trip charges). Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Centranet, the cooperative sells fiber internet and related telecom services to residential and business customers, adding a second recurring revenue stream within the same territory. Beyond utility services, Central operates the Central Community Foundation nonprofit, funded by members through the Operation Round Up program (adopted 2006), which has distributed over $1.4 million to local nonprofits over 20 years. Additional product lines include solar interconnection services, EV charging program support, energy-efficiency rebates, and the Youth Power Energy Camp.
The business model is that of a regulated distribution utility and cooperative: capital is member-sourced through patronage capital credits, board governance is elected from seven geographic districts, and the entity is not publicly traded. Central employs approximately 80 people, holds more than $100 million in total assets, and pays in excess of $15 million annually in gross-receipts taxes to local school districts based on line miles. Customer segments are horizontal (residential, commercial/industrial at 50 kW+, and agricultural), with no identified anchor enterprise accounts; the member base is structurally diversified across the seven-county service area.
Central Rural Electric Cooperative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central Rural Electric Cooperative
- Legal name
- Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
- Website
- https://mycentral.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative, founded 1938 and based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, serving more than 25,000 meters across seven central Oklahoma counties via over 4,000 miles of distribution line, with a wholly-owned fiber broadband subsidiary called Centranet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central Rural Electric Cooperative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Utility Distribution
- NAICS
- Electric Power Distribution (221122), Utilities (22)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Microgrids & Shared Distributed Generation (EUACALAC), Green Tariffs & Utility Renewable Supply Programs (EUAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where Central Rural Electric Cooperative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stillwater
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Central Rural Electric Cooperative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Electric Distribution Services: Central provides electric distribution services to over 25,000 meters across seven central Oklahoma counties. Revenue is generated through monthly electricity charges based on consumption (kWh), with rates approved by the board of trustees and applicable regulatory authorities.
- Fiber Internet Services (Centranet): Subsidiary providing fiber internet services to residential and business customers in the service area. Offers internet connectivity, phone solutions, and related telecommunications services.
- Membership Fees: One-time membership fee of $50 required for new members to join the cooperative
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Membership fee for new members |
| Subscription | Monthly | Service initiation fee |
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential Extension Allowance |
| Subscription | Monthly | Security Deposit - Poor Credit |
| Subscription | Monthly | Security Deposit - Moderate Credit |
| Subscription | Monthly | Late Fee |
| Other | Monthly | Tampering Fee |
| Other | Monthly | Trip Charge |
| Other | Monthly | DNP Disconnect/Reconnect Fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Central Rural Electric Cooperative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to more than 25,000 meters across seven central Oklahoma counties through over 4,000 miles of power lines. It also operates Centranet, a wholly-owned fiber internet subsidiary providing broadband services to residential and commercial customers, and offers the SmartHub member portal for account management, bill payment, and outage reporting.
Product overview
Central Rural Electric Cooperative operates as a single electric distribution product serving over 25,000 meters across seven central Oklahoma counties. The cooperative provides SmartHub, a member-facing portal for bill payment and outage management, alongside Centranet Fiber Internet for broadband services. Additional offerings include Youth Power Energy Camp for youth development, Operation Round Up community giving through the Central Community Foundation, and Energy Solutions programs covering rebates, EV charging, and solar interconnection. These services are offered as part of the cooperative's mission to provide reliable, affordable electricity while strengthening local communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Centranet: Fiber internet service offered by the cooperative's telecommunications subsidiary
- SmartHub
- Central Community Foundation
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves more than 25,000 meters across seven counties
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Central Rural Electric Cooperative
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Central Rural Electric Cooperative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Central Rural Electric Cooperative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Pivot GroupminorNational research firm administering internet service surveys on behalf of Centranet. Conducts survey research to evaluate community internet needs and identify improvement opportunities.
- Operation Round UpcoreFounded in 1989 by a South Carolina co-op, Central adopted Operation Round Up in 2006. Members voluntarily round up monthly electric bills to the nearest dollar to fund the Central Community Foundation, which distributes grants to local nonprofits and neighbors.
- KAMO PowercoreKAMO Power is a generation and transmission cooperative based in Vinita, Oklahoma. It receives power through membership and moves electricity across high-voltage power lines over long distances, delivering to substations where Central accesses electricity for distribution to members.
- Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI)coreAECI is a generation cooperative located in Springfield, Missouri responsible for generation of affordable and reliable electricity. Central receives power through KAMO Power's membership in AECI. AECI serves as a balancing authority and its footprint provides power to 2.1 million people in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa.
- Stillwater FFAminorCentral partners with Stillwater FFA for safety education programs. Central linemen conduct live-line demonstrations showing the dangers of electricity to FFA students as part of leadership and safety programming.
- Oklahoma State University Police DepartmentminorPartners with Central for community safety programming, providing drunk driving simulations and safety education at FFA events.
- USDA Wildlife ServicesminorPartners with Central for firearm safety education at community safety events.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Central Rural Electric Cooperative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KAMO Power: Generation-and-transmission cooperative providing wholesale power to Central and other Oklahoma distribution co-ops. Directly tied to Central's supply chain and is the operator of the transmission assets feeding Central's distribution network.
- Indian Electric Cooperative: Distribution cooperative serving rural northeastern Oklahoma with a similar member-owned structure, kWh-based revenue model, and rural electrification focus. Comparable to Central in customer mix (residential/agricultural/oil-field) and service territory scale.
- Co-Mo Electric Cooperative: Distribution cooperative based in central Missouri that built a successful fiber internet subsidiary (Co-Mo Connect) on top of its electric distribution assets. Highly comparable to Central/Centranet as a model for fiber-electric co-op convergence and broadband-led growth.
- Oklahoma Electric Cooperative: Oklahoma-based member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving residential, commercial, and agricultural members within the state. Operates the same rural cooperative model, regulatory framework, and three-tier G&T structure as Central, making it the closest direct peer for benchmarking operations and member programs.
- People's Electric Cooperative: Oklahoma-based distribution cooperative serving members in south-central Oklahoma. Comparable to Central in cooperative governance, three-tier G&T supply chain (via KAMO/AECI), tiered commercial rates, and rural service area economics.
- Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI): Generation cooperative serving as the balancing authority for Central's power supply, with a footprint across Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa. Comparable as a cooperative counterparty in the same three-tier arrangement, with relevance to Central's wholesale cost structure.
Emerging players
- Conexon: Consulting and operations firm that partners with rural electric cooperatives to build fiber-to-the-home networks. Directly comparable to Central's Centranet strategy and represents the ecosystem of vendors enabling cooperative-led broadband expansion.
Broad incumbents
- Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO): AEP subsidiary and investor-owned electric utility serving eastern and central Oklahoma including portions of the Tulsa area. Comparable to Central in geographic overlap and distribution function, but operates as a regulated IOU rather than a cooperative.
- OG&E Energy (Oklahoma Gas and Electric): Investor-owned regulated electric utility serving central and western Oklahoma. Comparable to Central as a competing electric distribution provider in overlapping portions of Oklahoma, but operating under a different (IOU) regulatory and capital structure.
Others
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National trade association representing 900+ electric cooperatives including Central. Relevant as the industry-level peer and source of the Credentialed Cooperative Director certification program that Central's board trustees must complete.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Central Rural Electric Cooperative social profiles
Digital presenceCentral Rural Electric Cooperative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central Rural Electric Cooperative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Central Rural Electric Cooperative subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Central Rural Electric Cooperative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central Rural Electric Cooperative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central Rural Electric Cooperative
What does Central Rural Electric Cooperative do?
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to more than 25,000 meters across seven central Oklahoma counties through over 4,000 miles of power lines. It also operates Centranet, a wholly-owned fiber internet subsidiary providing broadband services to residential and commercial customers, and offers the SmartHub member portal for account management, bill payment, and outage reporting.
Is Central Rural Electric Cooperative a public or private company?
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Central Rural Electric Cooperative founded?
Central Rural Electric Cooperative was founded in 1938. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Central Rural Electric Cooperative based?
Central Rural Electric Cooperative is headquartered in Stillwater, United States, in the North America region.
How does Central Rural Electric Cooperative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Electric Distribution Services are the primary driver. The others are fiber Internet Services (Centranet) and membership Fees.
Who are Central Rural Electric Cooperative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KAMO Power, Indian Electric Cooperative, Co-Mo Electric Cooperative, Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, People's Electric Cooperative and Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI). Conexon is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) and OG&E Energy (Oklahoma Gas and Electric). National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is listed as an others.
Does Central Rural Electric Cooperative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central Rural Electric Cooperative.
What industry is Central Rural Electric Cooperative in?
Central Rural Electric Cooperative's product category is Electric Utility Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADABAC, Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities), with a secondary code of EUACALAC, Community Microgrids & Shared Distributed Generation. Its NAICS code is 221122 and its SIC code is 4911.