Mecklenburg Electric

What Mecklenburg Electric does

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1938 and headquartered in Chase City, Virginia. It distributes electricity to over 32,000 member-owners across 14 counties — 9 in Virginia and 5 in North Carolina — through owned substations, transmission lines, and three district offices (Chase City, Emporia, Gretna). The cooperative reports a 99.96% reliability rate (2017) and operates as part of the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) consortium of 11 cooperatives for wholesale power supply, including access to the 1,000 MW Wildcat Point natural gas facility.

MEC's core product is electric distribution service, supplemented by a portfolio of add-on products including the SmartHub online member portal, net metering for distributed solar, a Renewable Energy Rider (Rider GT) for 100% renewable sourcing at $0.015/kWh premium, outdoor lighting, generator sizing assistance, and energy efficiency programs. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary EMPOWER Broadband (formed 2018), the cooperative delivers fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband internet, television, and VoIP telephone service, currently offering up to 1 Gigabit speeds. The broadband business was accelerated by a 135-mile fiber backbone pilot, a $2.6M TRRC grant, a nearly $3.8M USDA ReConnect award, a strategic partnership with Microsoft and Mid-Atlantic Broadband, and the November 2019 acquisition of Buggs Island Telephone Cooperative.

Revenue is generated through subscription/recurring electric distribution fees and broadband subscriptions, with EMPOWER Broadband entry-level service priced at approximately $65-$75 per month. As a non-profit cooperative, margins are returned to members as capital credits, with nearly $47 million distributed historically. The cooperative is governed by an elected board of directors, led by President and CEO John C. Lee Jr., and operates with 51-100 employees. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-member through owned infrastructure within its exclusive service territory, with no external sales channels or geographic expansion outside the 14-county footprint.

Name

Mecklenburg Electric

Legal name

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

Website

https://meckelec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 32,000+ members across 14 counties in Southside Virginia and Northern North Carolina, also operating the EMPOWER Broadband FTTH internet subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies) (EUADABAI)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Rural broadband internet
• Member-owned cooperative
• Fiber-to-the-home service
• Renewable energy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chase City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Utility Service: MEC generates revenue through providing electric distribution services to over 32,000 members across Virginia and North Carolina. The cooperative operates as a non-profit, returning excess margins to members as capital credits.
2. EMPOWER Broadband Internet Service: Through its subsidiary EMPOWER Broadband, MEC offers fiber-to-the-home high-speed internet service, television, and Voice over IP telephone service to residential and commercial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to over 32,000 member-owners across 9 Virginia counties and 5 North Carolina counties. Through its subsidiary EMPOWER Broadband, the cooperative offers fiber-to-the-home high-speed internet, television, and VoIP telephone services. The cooperative also provides renewable energy programs, energy efficiency services, outdoor lighting, net metering, and returns margins to members as capital credits.

Product overview

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative operates as a not-for-profit electric utility cooperative providing electricity distribution to over 32,000 member-owners across 9 Virginia counties and 5 North Carolina counties. The cooperative's product portfolio centers on its core electricity distribution service, supplemented by its subsidiary EMPOWER Broadband offering fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet service up to 1 Gigabit per second. Additional offerings include net metering for solar installations, a Renewable Energy Rider (Rider GT) for 100% renewable energy sourcing, outdoor lighting, generator sizing assistance, energy efficiency programs, capital credits (profit sharing), youth scholarship programs, and SmartHub online account management. The cooperative's Wildcat Point generation facility (via ODEC) provides 1,000 MW of natural gas power to member cooperatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core electricity distribution service providing power to over 32,000 member-owners across 5 North Carolina counties and 9 Virginia counties. Includes outage management, service restoration, and 24/7 reliability support for residential, commercial, and industrial accounts.
• EMPOWER Broadband Internet Service Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband internet service offering speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second with no data caps. Provides retail high-speed internet, television, and Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone service to Southside Virginia and Northern North Carolina through EMPOWER Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary.
• Outdoor Lighting Outdoor lighting service for member properties including security and decorative lighting options available to residential, commercial, and industrial members.
• Generator Sizing Assistance Technical assistance service helping members determine appropriate generator size for backup power needs.
• Energy Efficiency Programs Suite of programs including thermostat programs, weatherization assistance, energy calculators, manufactured homes program, electric vehicle charging, and planting trees to reduce energy consumption for residential and commercial members.
• Renewable Energy Rider (Rider GT) Voluntary companion rate program providing 100% renewable energy backed by Renewable Energy Certificates. Adds $0.015 per kWh charge with certificates sourced from wind farms including Armenia Mountain, Stony Creek, and Criterion.
• Net Metering Program allowing members to interconnect approved renewable generation systems (solar PV) to their home's electrical system. Excess generation is credited ('banked') for later use, functioning as a virtual battery.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2019Microsoft partnered with EMPOWER Broadband to support the Fiber-to-the-Home broadband deployment effort in Southside Virginia. Microsoft has committed to supporting the cooperative's efforts to bring broadband connectivity to rural communities.
• Mid-Atlantic BroadbandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2019Mid-Atlantic Broadband has been instrumental in the Tobacco Commission funding for broadband deployment in Southside Virginia. Their middle-mile fiber infrastructure supports EMPOWER Broadband's last-mile deployment.
• Old Dominion Electric CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2019ODEC is MEC's wholesale power supplier, jointly owned by 11 electric cooperatives. ODEC provides power generation including the Wildcat Point natural gas facility and manages diverse power supply assets.
• EDF RenewablesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Through ODEC's partnership with EDF Renewables, MEC participates in a 30-megawatt portfolio of distributed solar projects across Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.
• Southside Virginia Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEC helped establish and continues to support SVCC's Power Line Worker Training School, providing resources, expertise, and student scholarships. The school has graduated over 100 students with 99% employment.
• Buggs Island Telephone CooperativecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMPOWER Broadband acquired Buggs Island Telephone Cooperative in 2019. BIT's membership overwhelmingly approved the acquisition with 76.5% approval. The merger combines resources to accelerate fiber broadband deployment across Southside Virginia.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RiverStreet Networks: A broadband subsidiary of a North Carolina electric cooperative, providing fiber-to-the-home service across rural NC and VA; directly comparable to EMPOWER Broadband in business model, technology, and customer base.
• CoServ Electric: A large Texas-based electric and natural gas cooperative with a member-owned structure; comparable cooperative governance and capital credits model, but at materially larger scale.
• Rappahannock Electric Cooperative: Virginia-based member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving rural and exurban members; directly comparable cooperative model, scale, and service territory characteristics.
• Southside Electric Cooperative: A member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving Southside Virginia across a similar rural geography and customer base; nearly identical cooperative structure, regulatory environment, and service mix to MEC.
• Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative: A small rural Virginia electric cooperative with a similar member-owned structure, low-density service area, and reliance on ODEC or similar wholesale power arrangements.
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative: One of the largest electric cooperatives in the U.S., serving rural and exurban Texas; directly comparable cooperative structure, capital credits program, and member service orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Appalachian Power Company: Investor-owned utility serving large portions of Virginia including territories adjacent to MEC; overlaps in geographic market and end-customer base but operates under different regulatory and ownership model.
• Dominion Energy Virginia: The largest investor-owned electric utility in Virginia; provides broader portfolio of generation, transmission, and distribution services in markets adjacent to MEC's territory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mecooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mecklenburg-electric-cooperative

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Mecklenburg Electric