What Middle Tennessee Electric does

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation (MTE), founded in 1936 by farmers and homeowners, is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It is the largest electric cooperative in the Tennessee Valley Authority region and the second largest in the United States, distributing electricity to more than 750,000 members across 345,000+ accounts in 11 Middle Tennessee counties spanning nearly 2,200 square miles, with a grid reliability rating of 99.98%. The cooperative operates as a regulated distribution utility within its exclusive service territory, with members functioning as both customers and owners and any margins returned via capital credits.

MTE's core offering is residential and business electricity distribution, delivered through six local offices and the myMTE digital platform, with revenue generated through monthly subscription-style electricity rates. The technology stack consists of distribution infrastructure (power lines, substations, smart grid systems), the wholly-owned United Communications broadband subsidiary with a 6,100+ route-mile fiber network, and a growing portfolio of energy programs including Cooperative Solar, Green Switch 100, ProSolar, DriveEV, Home Energy Checkups, the Home Uplift efficiency upgrade program with TVA, and Heat Pump Loan financing. Notable technical differentiators include patented CattleTracker cattle-compatible agrivoltaics deployed at the Christiana Solar Ranch with Silicon Ranch (approximately 5 MW) and the newly launched Middle Tennessee Quantum Technology Hub (MT-QuTech Hub) with MTSU.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer within the cooperative's service territory, with no traditional sales motion; instead, the cooperative emphasizes member engagement, community programs (SharingChange foundation, Electric Griddle mobile trailer, Washington Youth Tour), and a J.D. Power top-9% national member satisfaction ranking. Strategic partnerships with TVA, Silicon Ranch, and MTSU, combined with subsidiary broadband expansion and emerging quantum and agrivoltaics initiatives, indicate an ecosystem-level play extending the cooperative beyond commodity electricity distribution.

Name

Middle Tennessee Electric

Legal name

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation

Website

https://mte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Middle Tennessee Electric is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative that distributes electricity to 750,000+ residential and business members across 11 Middle Tennessee counties, and operates United Communications, a broadband subsidiary with 6,100+ fiber route miles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

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), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Cooperative utility services
• Broadband internet services
• Renewable energy programs
• Energy efficiency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Murfreesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Services: As a member-owned electric cooperative, MTE provides electricity distribution services to over 750,000 members across 11 Middle Tennessee counties. Revenue is generated through electricity rates paid by members, with any margins reinvested in the cooperative or returned as capital credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Middle Tennessee Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative that distributes electricity to over 750,000 residential and business members across 11 Middle Tennessee counties, maintaining a 99.98% reliability rating. In addition to core electricity distribution, MTE offers energy efficiency and renewable programs (solar, Green Switch, Home Uplift), EV incentives, vegetation management, and broadband internet through its subsidiary United Communications.

Product overview

Middle Tennessee Electric is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative that serves as both a utility provider and community partner. The organization operates a unified platform approach offering core electricity distribution to over 750,000 residential and business members across 11 counties, supplemented by an array of energy management and sustainability modules including Cooperative Solar, Green Switch 100, ProSolar, DriveEV, Home Energy Checkups, Home Uplift, and Heat Pump Loan programs. The cooperative also operates United Communications as a broadband subsidiary providing fiber internet services. Additional offerings include vegetation management services and SharingChange, a charitable foundation supporting local communities. In 2026, MTE launched the Middle Tennessee Quantum Technology Hub in partnership with MTSU, representing an emerging technology initiative within its portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• United Communications: Nationally recognized broadband company and MTE subsidiary providing high-speed internet and phone services with a fiber network spanning more than 6,100 route miles.
• SharingChange

Products and services

• Residential Electric Service Electricity distribution service for over 750,000 residential members across 11 Middle Tennessee counties, including account management, billing, and outage reporting through the myMTE platform.
• Business Electric Service Electric service programs and rates for commercial and industrial customers, including key accounts management and construction services.
• Cooperative Solar Community solar program enabling members to subscribe to solar energy without installing panels on their property, providing renewable energy access to renters and those with unsuitable rooftops.
• Green Switch 100 Program allowing members to purchase 100% renewable energy through Green Mountain Energy for their home or business.
• ProSolar Solar program for members who install their own solar panel systems, with net metering and interconnection services.
• DriveEV Electric vehicle programs including rebates, incentives, and the TVA EnergyRight Smart Thermostat Program to support EV adoption among members.
• Home Energy Checkups Free home energy assessments that help members identify ways to reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills.
• Home Uplift Program Partnership with TVA providing no-cost energy efficiency upgrades for qualifying homeowners, including HVAC, insulation, ductwork, and water heater improvements.
• Heat Pump Loan Program Financing program helping members install heat pumps for energy-efficient heating and cooling, in partnership with TVA.
• United Communications Broadband MTE's subsidiary broadband company providing high-speed fiber internet, phone, and TV services through a fiber network spanning over 6,100 route miles across Middle Tennessee counties.
• Tree and Vegetation Management Vegetation management services including tree pruning, removal, replacement programs, herbicide applications, and Tree Growth Regulators to maintain power line rights-of-way.
• Middle Tennessee Quantum Technology Hub (MT-QuTech Hub) Quantum technology research partnership with MTSU focused on developing practical quantum solutions for energy infrastructure, workforce development, and regional economic growth in Middle Tennessee.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026MTE and MTSU launched the Middle Tennessee Quantum Technology Hub (MT-QuTech Hub) to advance quantum technology solutions for energy infrastructure. The partnership aims to develop practical quantum applications to improve grid reliability, create workforce development opportunities, and position Middle Tennessee as a leader in quantum research through the QRISE Center.
• Silicon RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026MTE partners with Nashville-based solar developer Silicon Ranch for the Christiana Solar Ranch project, a 40-acre agrivoltaics facility where cattle graze beneath solar panels. MTE purchases approximately 5 megawatts of electricity generated at the site. This partnership supports renewable energy goals while enabling agricultural land use.
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MTE partners with TVA on the Home Uplift Program, which has completed over 350 energy efficiency renovations for qualifying homeowners in Middle Tennessee. Participants receive free upgrades including HVAC, insulation, and water heater improvements, saving an average of $400+ annually on energy costs.
• United CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Communications is MTE's broadband subsidiary providing high-speed internet and phone services across portions of 11 counties through a fiber network spanning more than 6,100 route miles. The subsidiary is a nationally recognized broadband company.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pedernales Electric Cooperative: Texas-based member-owned electric cooperative serving a large rural and suburban territory, comparable to MTE in cooperative governance model, distribution-only operations, and member-owned capital structure.
• Cobb EMC: Georgia-based member-owned electric cooperative with similar scale and distribution utility operations, offering comparable energy efficiency, renewable, and broadband programs to residential and business members.
• Sawnee EMC: Georgia electric cooperative with comparable member-owned distribution model and growing fiber broadband subsidiary, serving a fast-growing metro-adjacent territory similar to MTE.
• Oglethorpe Power Corporation: Georgia cooperative that generates and transmits power on behalf of member EMCs, comparable to MTE's relationship within the TVA cooperative ecosystem and similar not-for-profit wholesale-to-distribution structure.
• Volunteer Energy Cooperative: Tennessee-based member-owned electric cooperative serving members across multiple counties, with similar governance, distribution utility operations, and TVA-region regulatory environment as MTE.
• Jackson Energy Cooperative: Kentucky electric cooperative operating under a TVA-adjacent model with member-owned distribution and energy efficiency programs, structurally comparable to MTE's cooperative framework.
• Powell Valley Electric Cooperative: Tennessee-based cooperative utility serving northeast Tennessee, with comparable distribution-only operations, member-owned structure, and TVA-region regulatory exposure.
• Caney Fork Electric Cooperative: Tennessee electric cooperative operating in the same regulatory and geographic framework as MTE, offering similar residential and commercial distribution services with member-owned governance.

Broad incumbents

• Duke Energy (Tennessee): Large investor-owned utility serving Tennessee with overlapping territory in the broader region; offers electric distribution alongside generation and transmission at scale that MTE does not match, but competes for the same end customers in adjacent service areas.

Regional players

• Nashville Electric Service (NES): Public power utility serving Nashville and Davidson County, directly adjacent to MTE's territory; comparable in serving Middle Tennessee customers under different governance (municipal vs. cooperative), making it a close geographic competitor for high-density accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MidTnElectric
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MTEMC1
• Facebookfacebook.com/MidTnElectric
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midtnelectric
• Instagraminstagram.com/midtnelectric

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Middle Tennessee Electric