SECO Energy

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.

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

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

• Electric distribution services
• Energy cooperative
• Demand response programs
• Surge protection devices
• Solar interconnection

Headquarters

HQ city

Sumterville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• HoneywellcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2026Honeywell 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.
• SparkMetercoreTechnology or Integration · 11 June 2025SparkMeter'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 CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECO 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.
• CapacitycoreTechnology or IntegrationSECO 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 PeakercoreTechnology or IntegrationVirtual 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 ElectricmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides 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 CompanymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHas delivered underground construction services to SECO Energy since 2003. Services include installation and maintenance of underground lines, transformers, cabinets, and cable.
• Wright Tree ServicemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSince 2020, Wright has conducted routine tree trimming and removals near overhead power lines to help reduce outages and improve system reliability.
• XylemmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustry leader for utility vegetation management, specializing in ongoing right-of-way maintenance and rapid storm response and restoration.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECO 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/SECOenergy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SECOenergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/secoenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sumter-electric-cooperative-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/secoenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 SECO Energy