Red River Valley REA

What Red River Valley REA does

Red River Valley REA is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric cooperative founded in 1937, headquartered in Marietta, Oklahoma. It distributes electricity across an exclusive 1,940-square-mile service territory spanning five counties in South Central Oklahoma (Carter, Jefferson, Johnston, Love, and Marshall), serving over 11,000 member-owners across 17,000+ residential and commercial accounts through 2,800 miles of power lines and 16,000+ meters. The cooperative is one of 21 member-owners of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), its wholesale power supplier, which provides a generation mix with 35–50% sourced from solar, wind, and hydro.

The cooperative's operational backbone includes a Smart Grid outage management system with real-time outage mapping and automated meter reading, delivered to members through the SmartHub online and mobile platform (bySecure) for billing, usage monitoring, and account management. Beyond commodity electricity distribution, Red River Valley REA layers a suite of member programs including the Beat the Peak voluntary demand response initiative (active 3–7 PM weekdays, June 20–September 9), a 2025 Energy Efficiency Rebate program with a $50,000 annual budget cap, financing for heat pumps and water heaters (5%/7%/10% interest rates) billed on electric statements, free on-site energy audits, and a Distributed Generation / Net Metering program accepting member-owned solar, wind, and hydro interconnections up to 300kW. Community programs include the Youth Tour (D.C. trip for high school juniors), Energy Camp (week-long leadership program for 8th graders), and electrical safety education for 4th-grade classrooms.

Red River Valley REA operates on a cooperative financial model with no public shareholders; any margins above operating costs are allocated to members as capital credits, which the Board of Trustees may retire based on cooperative financial condition. Revenue is generated primarily through electricity sales to residential and commercial members, supplemented by modest fees ($5 membership, $40 connect/transfer, security deposits at 2x highest recent bill) and interest on heat pump/water heater loans. The cooperative is led by General Manager/CEO Mike Mathis and governed by an elected Board of Trustees serving three-year terms across three districts, with a secondary office in Kingston serving as a district touchpoint. In December 2024, the cooperative secured $47,396,000 in USDA funding to support infrastructure investment within the service territory.

Name

Red River Valley REA

Legal name

Red River Valley Rural Electric Association, Inc.

Website

https://rrvrea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Red River Valley REA is a member-owned rural electric cooperative founded in 1937, distributing electricity to over 11,000 members across 17,000+ accounts in five South Central Oklahoma counties through 2,800 miles of power lines. It layers energy efficiency rebates, demand response, and HVAC financing programs onto its core distribution business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Utilities (22)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Electric cooperative services
• Energy efficiency programs
• Demand response programs
• Member-owned utility

Headquarters

HQ city

Marietta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution Sales: The cooperative distributes electricity to residential and commercial members on a not-for-profit basis. Revenue is generated through electricity sales to over 11,000 members across 17,000+ accounts. Any excess revenue beyond operating costs is allocated as capital credits to members.
2. Heat Pump and Water Heater Loans: The cooperative offers financing for HVAC systems with payments appearing on members' electric bills. Current rates are 5% for geothermal, 7% for air source heat pumps, and 10% for water heaters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Red River Valley REA is a member-owned electric cooperative that distributes electricity to over 11,000 members and 17,000 accounts across five counties in South Central Oklahoma. The cooperative operates a 1,940-square-mile service territory with 2,800 miles of power lines and 16,000+ meters, and supplements electricity distribution with member programs including SmartHub account management, energy efficiency rebates, heat pump and water heater financing, distributed generation/net metering, free energy audits, and the Beat the Peak demand response program. As a not-for-profit cooperative, excess revenues are returned to members as capital credits.

Product overview

Red River Valley REA is a member-owned electric cooperative offering electricity distribution as its core product alongside a suite of member services. The digital platform SmartHub provides billing and account management, complemented by programs including energy efficiency rebates, demand response (Beat the Peak), and distributed generation/net metering. The cooperative also offers financing for HVAC systems, free energy audits, and youth programs (Energy Camp and Youth Tour). SmartHub serves as the central digital portal for bill payment, account management, and usage monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Core electricity distribution service delivering safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to over 11,000 members and 17,000 accounts across five counties in South Central Oklahoma, covering approximately 1,940 square miles with 2,800 miles of line and 16,000+ meters.
• SmartHub Account Management Online and mobile billing and account management portal providing bill payment, payment history review, bill reminders, and daily/monthly electric usage data, available via web and iOS/Android mobile applications.
• Average Billing Billing plan that levels monthly payments by averaging 12 months of usage to eliminate seasonal bill fluctuations and assist members with budgeting.
• Heat Pump & Water Heater Loans Financing program for HVAC and water heater installations offered to members at 5% for geothermal, 7% for air source heat pumps, and 10% for water heaters, with loan payments appearing on members' electric bills.
• Energy Efficiency Rebates 2025 rebate program offering $1,000/ton for ground source heat pump new installations, $500/ton for retrofit; $200/ton for air source heat pumps; and $250 for water heaters and gas/propane-to-electric conversions, with a $50,000 program budget cap.
• Energy Audits Free on-site energy assessments conducted by trained technicians, including inspection of electric appliances, insulation evaluation, and personalized efficiency tips.
• Beat the Peak Demand Response Voluntary demand response program encouraging members to reduce energy use during peak demand periods (3-7 PM weekdays, June 20 - September 9), with weekly energy efficiency tips and advance peak notifications sent via email, text, and Facebook.
• Distributed Generation / Net Metering Member-owned distributed generation interconnection program supporting solar, wind, and hydro systems up to 300kW, with net metering and standby/back-up service rates applied for systems of 50kW or greater.
• Outage Reporting & Map Real-time outage reporting system with an interactive live map displaying outage locations, number of members affected, and crew assignment status across the service territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital credits returned to members when revenues exceed operating costs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC)coreOthersWFEC is the power supplier for Red River Valley REA. REA and 20 other cooperatives own WFEC, making members of each cooperative part owners in one of the largest electric generation networks in Oklahoma and New Mexico. WFEC has a robust renewable generation portfolio with 35-50% from solar, wind, and hydro. WFEC also handles standby/back-up service rates and net metering credits for DG installations.
• Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association supporting Oklahoma electric cooperatives. Coordinates the Youth Tour program and Energy Camp for member cooperatives including Red River Valley REA.
• SafeElectricity.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectrical safety education organization. Red River Valley REA participates in the Safe Electricity program and incorporates their educational materials in classroom safety presentations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E): Investor-owned utility serving central and western Oklahoma; operates alongside RRVREA across portions of the same territory, providing a benchmark for regulated rates, grid modernization, and AMI deployment.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Large G&T cooperative serving distribution members across multiple states; a like-structured wholesale counterpart that informs supply-mix, renewable, and transmission strategy relevant to RRVREA.
• Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC): Oklahoma generation-and-transmission (G&T) cooperative owned by 21 distribution co-ops including Red River Valley REA; comparable cooperative structure with overlapping governance, and the wholesale supplier for RRVREA.
• Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO, an AEP company): Investor-owned electric utility serving eastern Oklahoma including portions of RRVREA's five-county area — broader incumbent useful for retail rate and reliability benchmarking.

Others

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National trade association for the U.S. cooperative utility sector representing REAs including Oklahoma members; an ecosystem/peer reference for advocacy, training, and shared services.

Direct peers

• Lake Region Electric Cooperative: Eastern Oklahoma REC offering distribution, AMI/SmartHub, and energy-efficiency programs to rural members — comparable operational footprint and service mix.
• Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC): Member-owned cooperative serving south-central Oklahoma around Norman with comparable kWh sales, member programs, and SmartHub-style digital member services.
• Cotton Electric Cooperative: Southwest Oklahoma distribution cooperative with similar geographic-spread distribution challenges, capital-credit returns, and rural member base.
• Choctaw Electric Cooperative: Oklahoma-based member-owned rural electric cooperative serving a multi-county territory with similar distribution, billing, and demand-response programs — a near-clone peer for benchmarking operations and member services.
• Central Rural Electric Cooperative: Stillwater, Oklahoma-headquartered REC serving rural members with electricity distribution, energy efficiency rebates, and member financing — directly comparable scale and operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Red-River-Valley-REA/146536385393684

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Red River Valley REA