Cooperative Energy

What Cooperative Energy does

Cooperative Energy is a not-for-profit, member-owned generation and transmission (G&T) electric cooperative headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Founded in 1941 as South Mississippi Electric (SME) and renamed Cooperative Energy in 2016, the company is the only wholesale G&T cooperative in Mississippi and supplies electricity to 11 member-owned distribution electric cooperatives across 55 of the state's 82 counties, ultimately serving approximately 456,000 homes and businesses. Its diversified generation portfolio totals 2,304 MW from 17 natural gas-fired units, 153 MW from 11 solar sites, 125 MW of capacity from a 10% ownership stake in the 1,250 MW Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, and supplemental wholesale hydropower procured from the U.S. Department of Energy's Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA). Power is transmitted across 1,902 miles of transmission lines and integrated into MISO. Recent major capital projects include the R.D. Morrow, Sr. Generating Station repowering from coal to natural gas using a Siemens Energy SGT6-9000HL turbine (commercial operation March 2023; 572 MW) and Delta's Edge, a 100 MW solar facility in Carroll County developed with Cubico Buffalo Holdings I, LLC (commercial operation November 2023), which together with a 52 MW Lamar County solar project (Origis Energy USA, December 2017) anchor a meaningful shift in the generation mix.

The company's revenue model is wholesale electricity sales to its 11 member distribution cooperatives at cost-based rates, with any residual margins (capital credits) returned to members — over $400 million in capital credits were returned through 2015. As a not-for-profit cooperative under member-elected board governance, Cooperative Energy operates more like a regulated utility than a venture-backed company. Beyond core generation and transmission, the company has built an economic development platform including the SiteInvest site readiness program (developed with Burns & McDonnell), Cooperative Competes grants of up to $50,000, dedicated economic development staff, and partnerships with the Mississippi Development Authority, designed to attract industrial load to its service territory. Additional service lines include a Student Co-Op engineering program, Home Energy Savings programs (Comfort Advantage rebates, automated metering, energy audits), an electric vehicle program (GoEV!), and integrated vegetation management across 26,000 acres of right-of-way. Total assets stood at $2.3 billion at year-end 2024 and 2024 sales to members reached a record 10,227,219 MWh.

Name

Cooperative Energy

Legal name

Cooperative Energy

Website

https://cooperativeenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cooperative Energy is a Mississippi not-for-profit, member-owned generation and transmission cooperative that generates and transmits wholesale electricity to 11 member distribution cooperatives serving approximately 456,000 homes and businesses across 55 counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Electric Power Generation and Transmission

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation (221112), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Captive & Embedded Gas-Fired Power Generation (Industrial/Commercial CHP) (EUALALAB), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Wholesale electric power
• Generation and transmission
• Electric cooperative utility
• Solar energy generation
• Nuclear power generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hattiesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Electricity Sales: Cooperative Energy generates and transmits electricity to 11 member-owned distribution electric cooperatives. Revenue is derived from wholesale electricity sales to member systems, with rates reflecting only the cost of supplying wholesale energy. As a not-for-profit cooperative, any remaining funds (capital credits) are returned to members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cooperative Energy is Mississippi's only generation and transmission (G&T) wholesale electric cooperative, generating and transmitting electricity to 11 member-owned distribution electric cooperatives. The company operates a diversified portfolio including 17 natural gas-fired units (2,304 MW), 11 solar sites (153 MW), a 10% ownership share of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (125 MW), and wholesale hydropower. Power is delivered across 1,902 miles of transmission lines serving approximately 456,000 homes and businesses in 55 of Mississippi's 82 counties.

Product overview

Cooperative Energy is Mississippi's only wholesale generation and transmission electric cooperative, operating as a not-for-profit, member-owned utility. The company operates a diversified generation portfolio including 17 natural gas-fired units (2,304 MW), solar installations (153 MW from 11 sites), nuclear power (10% ownership of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station), and hydropower from SEPA. Power is transmitted across 1,902 miles of transmission lines to 11 member distribution cooperatives serving approximately 456,000 homes and businesses in 55 of Mississippi's 82 counties. Beyond core electricity generation and transmission, Cooperative Energy offers economic development services through its SiteInvest program and Cooperative Competes grants, student engineering co-op programs, home energy savings initiatives, vegetation management, and electric vehicle programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 42% reduction in CO2 emissions since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and innovative.

• VisionFirst AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Comprehensive Incentives Study in Pearl River County. VisionFirst conducted economic development consulting to develop a guidebook for offering local incentives to economic development projects.
• Cubico Buffalo Holdings I, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Partnership for 100 MW solar facility (Delta's Edge) in Carroll County near Greenwood. Commercial operation began November 2023. Facility incorporates approximately 250,000 panels on 750 acres. Cooperative Energy purchases all power produced.
• GE Research and Prolec GEinnovativeTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2021100MVA flexible transformer demonstration project at a Cooperative Energy substation. Part of U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity initiative. Represents next-generation hardware to support higher penetrations of renewable power on the grid and improve grid resiliency.
• Origis Energy USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2017Partnership for 52 MW solar facility in Lamar County, Mississippi. Commercial operation began December 2017. Facility incorporates over 206,000 polycrystalline solar modules on 540 acres. Origis Energy developed, constructed, and operates the site while Cooperative Energy purchases all power produced.
• National Renewables Cooperative OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2008Charter member since May 2008. Cooperative organization focused on renewable energy collaboration among electric cooperatives.
• Burns & McDonnellminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDeveloped the SiteInvest program in partnership with Cooperative Energy. SiteInvest helps communities prepare industrial sites for development and investment through a 3-tier assessment process.
• Mississippi Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks closely with local economic development organizations and the Mississippi Development Authority to recommend sites, offer rate incentives, and find grant programs for eligible economic development projects across Mississippi.
• Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Department of Energy agency headquartered in Georgia. Cooperative Energy receives wholesale hydropower from several reservoirs and dams operated by SEPA.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seminole Electric Cooperative: Florida-based generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution co-ops with a mix of natural gas, coal, and solar assets. Closest structural analog to Cooperative Energy's G&T cooperative model serving a defined state footprint.
• PowerSouth Energy Cooperative: Alabama G&T cooperative (formerly Alabama Electric Cooperative) supplying wholesale power to member distribution systems across the southeastern U.S. Directly comparable to Cooperative Energy in business model, scale, and member-owned governance.
• Associated Electric Cooperative: Generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Missouri serving member systems across Missouri, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Operates a diversified mix of coal, gas, and renewables — comparable in scale and member-driven governance to Cooperative Energy.
• Oglethorpe Power Corporation: Georgia's largest G&T cooperative, owned by 38 member electric membership corporations. Operates a portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, hydro, and solar assets — directly comparable in structure, generation mix, and member-owned model.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: One of the largest G&T cooperatives in the U.S., serving member systems across the Upper Midwest and West. Comparable member-driven wholesale generation and transmission model, though at significantly larger geographic and asset scale than Cooperative Energy.
• Dairyland Power Cooperative: Wisconsin-based G&T cooperative supplying wholesale power to member distribution co-ops across the Upper Midwest. Operates a diversified mix including natural gas, renewables, and a stake in a nuclear plant — structurally comparable to Cooperative Energy's portfolio composition.
• East Kentucky Power Cooperative: Kentucky G&T cooperative generating and transmitting wholesale power to 16 member distribution co-ops. Comparable member-owned structure, similar generation mix transitioning from coal toward gas and renewables, and analogous scale to Cooperative Energy.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Federal generation and transmission utility supplying power across Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and surrounding states. Overlaps with Cooperative Energy's Mississippi service area and offers similar wholesale generation/transmission capabilities, but at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Entergy Mississippi: Investor-owned utility providing retail electric service across western Mississippi. Operates as a vertically integrated utility with overlapping generation and transmission in the same state as Cooperative Energy, representing a broad incumbent competitor for retail and industrial load.
• Mississippi Power: Southern Company subsidiary serving retail customers across southeastern Mississippi with a mix of natural gas, coal, and renewable generation. Directly competes with Cooperative Energy's member co-ops for industrial and commercial load within the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CoopEnergyMS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Cooperative Energy