SECO Energy
SECO Energy is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving more than 265,000 homes and businesses across seven Central Florida counties. It is the third-largest electric cooperative in Florida and seventh-largest in the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersSumterville, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SECO Energy does
SECO Energy (legal name Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc.) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Sumterville, Florida. Founded in 1938, it distributes electricity to more than 265,000 residential, commercial, and industrial member-owners across a 2,100-square-mile service territory spanning seven Central Florida counties (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Pasco, and Sumter). It is the third-largest electric cooperative in Florida and the seventh-largest in the United States, purchasing wholesale power from Seminole Electric Cooperative and serving as one of its nine distribution owner-members. As a cooperative, SECO operates at cost with excess margins returned to members through annual Capital Credits allocations, and it is governed by a nine-member elected Board of Trustees.
The cooperative's core technology stack rests on an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system with two-way communication, a SmartHub customer portal for account management and usage monitoring, and a Smart Connect demand response program powered by Virtual Peaker that integrates Google Nest, Honeywell Home, Ecobee, Sensi, ChargePoint, Emporia, Tesla Powerwall, and SolarEdge devices. It has integrated Capacity's AI virtual agents to automate outage-related member interactions (reportedly reducing call costs by 66%) and is the announced first customer for Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Utilities, which incorporates SparkMeter's GridScan predictive grid analytics. Additional product offerings include the Surge MitiGator meter-based surge protection device, GenerLink transfer switches for portable generator interconnection, and a solar interconnection program with net billing.
SECO generates revenue primarily through regulated electricity sales to its member base under usage-based monthly billing, supplemented by ancillary streams including monthly Surge MitiGator lease fees, one-time GenerLink hardware sales, tiered solar interconnection application fees, and bill credits earned by members participating in the Smart Connect demand response program. Distribution and member engagement occur through five physical Member Service Centers, the SmartHub digital self-service portal, a phone contact center (partially AI-augmented), authorized third-party payment locations, a commercial economic development team with dedicated KeyAccounts contacts, and approved contractor networks for installation services.
SECO Energy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SECO Energy
- Legal name
- Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc.
- Website
- https://secoenergy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- SECO Energy is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving more than 265,000 homes and businesses across seven Central Florida counties. It is the third-largest electric cooperative in Florida and seventh-largest in the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SECO Energy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Utility Distribution
- NAICS
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Distribution (221122)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies) (EUADABAI), DER Dispatch, Aggregation & Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Integration (EUADALAI), DER Aggregation & Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) (EUAMAJAC)
Keywords
Where SECO Energy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sumterville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
SECO Energy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Electricity Sales and Distribution: SECO Energy operates as a not-for-profit electric cooperative purchasing wholesale power from Seminole Electric Cooperative. Revenue is generated through electricity sales to 265,000+ members across seven Central Florida counties. As a cooperative, excess revenues (margins) are allocated back to members as Capital Credits rather than distributed to shareholders.
- Smart Device Programs: Revenue is earned through the Smart Connect demand response program where members earn bill credits for allowing temporary adjustments to smart devices during peak demand. SECO manages grid strain while providing incentives to participants.
- Surge Protection Services: Monthly lease fees ($5.95/month plus tax) or one-time purchase ($349) for Surge MitiGator meter-based surge protection devices, including $40 installation fee for leases.
- GenerLink Transfer Switch Sales: Sale of GenerLink portable generator transfer switches ($1,200 plus tax, including installation) for safe generator connection to home electrical systems.
- Solar Interconnection Services: Application fees for solar interconnection ($500-$1,000 depending on system tier) and net billing program for members with solar installations selling excess power back to the cooperative.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Residential Electric Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Smart Connect Demand Response Program |
| Subscription | Monthly | Surge MitiGator Surge Protection |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | GenerLink Transfer Switch |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Solar Interconnection Application Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
SECO Energy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc.) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative that purchases wholesale power from Seminole Electric Cooperative and distributes electricity to over 265,000 homes and businesses across seven Central Florida counties covering 2,100 square miles. The cooperative supplements core electric service with the Surge MitiGator surge protection device, the Smart Connect demand response program, the GenerLink transfer switch, solar interconnection with net billing, and the multi-year HPS-to-LED area lighting conversion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Residential and Commercial Electricity Distribution
Quantifiable outcome
- 66% reduction in call costs through AI-powered virtual agent integration
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SECO Energy
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SECO Energy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
SECO Energy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- HoneywellcoreHoneywell announced SECO Energy as first customer for Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Utilities, integrating SparkMeter's grid management software. Partnership aims to automate and modernize grid assets through advanced analytics, enabling proactive distribution management and better rate alignment with energy costs.
- SparkMetercoreSparkMeter's GridScan platform deployed at SECO Energy for predictive grid management to address aging distribution networks and surging demand from data centers and EVs. SparkMeter also partners with Honeywell Smart Energy for scaling grid management solutions.
- Seminole Electric CooperativecoreSECO Energy purchases wholesale power from Seminole Electric Cooperative, one of the nation's largest generation and transmission cooperatives serving more than two million consumers in Florida. Seminole is owned by nine electric distribution cooperatives including SECO.
- CapacitycoreSECO Energy integrated Capacity's AI virtual agents to automate customer interactions, reportedly reducing call costs by 66%. AI-powered outage management helps manage service disruptions.
- Virtual PeakercoreVirtual Peaker powers SECO Energy's Smart Connect demand response program, enabling remote adjustments to enrolled smart thermostats, EV chargers, and battery systems during peak demand events. Platform manages device enrollment and reward calculations.
- Pike ElectricmajorProvides all facets of overhead distribution line work within SECO Energy's service territory since 2005. Services include new line construction, line relocation, system improvements, and power restoration.
- Ivy H. Smith CompanymajorHas delivered underground construction services to SECO Energy since 2003. Services include installation and maintenance of underground lines, transformers, cabinets, and cable.
- Wright Tree ServicemajorSince 2020, Wright has conducted routine tree trimming and removals near overhead power lines to help reduce outages and improve system reliability.
- XylemmajorIndustry leader for utility vegetation management, specializing in ongoing right-of-way maintenance and rapid storm response and restoration.
- Touchstone Energy CooperativemajorSECO Energy is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, supporting the Co-op Connections savings program that offers member discounts at local and national retailers.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SECO Energy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Seminole Electric Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative that supplies SECO's wholesale power and is partially owned by SECO and eight other Florida distribution co-ops. Adjacent tier of the same cooperative ecosystem — comparable business model but upstream in the value chain.
- Florida Power & Light (FPL): Largest investor-owned utility in Florida and a subsidiary of NextEra Energy. Competes for large-load customers and commercial accounts across the state; benchmark for AMI, storm response, and customer-satisfaction performance.
- Tampa Electric (TECO Energy): Investor-owned regulated utility serving west-central Florida. Comparable in regulatory environment, grid modernization programs, and AMI rollouts, though structured as a for-profit subsidiary of Emera.
- Duke Energy Florida: Investor-owned utility serving overlapping territories in Florida with regulated generation, transmission, and distribution. Same regulatory regime and customer types but operates at much larger scale with public-equity financing.
Regional players
- JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority): Community-owned municipal utility in Northeast Florida providing generation, transmission, and distribution. Comparable in scale and Florida-specific operating conditions, but structured as a municipal authority rather than a member co-op.
- Ocala Electric Utility: Municipal electric utility operating within SECO's broader Central Florida service territory. Provides direct retail electric competition in the City of Ocala against SECO's commercial and industrial accounts.
Direct peers
- Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative: Distribution cooperative serving rural North Central Florida. Same Touchstone Energy co-op framework, Florida regulatory environment, and AMI/demand-response technology stack (Smart Connect via Virtual Peaker).
- Peace River Electric Cooperative: Member-owned distribution cooperative serving Central Florida counties near SECO's footprint. Direct peer sharing the same rural-utility business model, wholesale supply via Seminole Electric, and demand-response programs.
- Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative: Member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving adjacent counties in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay region. Operates under the same Touchstone Energy co-op model and faces identical hurricane exposure, regulatory environment, and member-governance structure as SECO.
- Clay Electric Cooperative: Florida's largest distribution electric cooperative, serving a comparable mix of residential, commercial, and agricultural members in North Florida. Closest direct peer in scale, governance, and service-territory economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SECO Energy social profiles
Digital presenceSECO Energy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SECO Energy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SECO Energy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SECO Energy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SECO Energy 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 SECO Energy
What does SECO Energy do?
SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc.) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative that purchases wholesale power from Seminole Electric Cooperative and distributes electricity to over 265,000 homes and businesses across seven Central Florida counties covering 2,100 square miles. The cooperative supplements core electric service with the Surge MitiGator surge protection device, the Smart Connect demand response program, the GenerLink transfer switch, solar interconnection with net billing, and the multi-year HPS-to-LED area lighting conversion.
Is SECO Energy a public or private company?
SECO Energy is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was SECO Energy founded?
SECO Energy was founded in 1938. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is SECO Energy based?
SECO Energy is headquartered in Sumterville, United States, in the North America region.
How does SECO Energy make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Electricity Sales and Distribution is the primary driver. The others are smart Device Programs, surge Protection Services, generLink Transfer Switch Sales and solar Interconnection Services.
Who are SECO Energy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Seminole Electric Cooperative, Florida Power & Light (FPL), Tampa Electric (TECO Energy) and Duke Energy Florida. Regional players are JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority) and Ocala Electric Utility. Direct peers are Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, Peace River Electric Cooperative, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative and Clay Electric Cooperative.
Does SECO Energy have an API?
No public API is recorded for SECO Energy.
What industry is SECO Energy in?
SECO Energy'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 EUADABAI, Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies). Its NAICS code is 2211 and its SIC code is 4911.