Sorea

What Sorea does

SOREA (Société des Régies de l'Arc) is a French local mixed-economy company (Société d'Économie Mixte Locale) founded circa 2005 and headquartered in Saint-Julien-Montdenis, Maurienne valley. The company operates as both a regulated electricity supplier and the exclusive Distribution Network Manager (GRD) across approximately eight Alpine municipalities including Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Valloire, and Valmeinier. SOREA is 66% publicly owned with strategic private shareholders CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône, France's second-largest hydropower producer) and CDC (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations), alongside SFTRF and Crédit Agricole des Savoie.

The company's core technical asset base includes the Henri Deville 63kV/20kV source substation (45MW capacity, inaugurated June 2023 at €8M cost), 13km of underground 20kV HTA distribution links between Saint-Julien-Montdenis and Valmeinier (25MW transit), SCADA-based network control, and a GIS-mapped distribution system. SOREA owns and operates renewable generation assets including hydroelectric plants (Clapeys and Corbière) and 500 kWc photovoltaic canopies (1,112 panels at St Rémy de Maurienne, operational May 2025, with additional capacity at St-Julien-Montdenis). The company has deployed 10,000+ Linky smart meters of a planned 15,000-unit rollout and operates public EV charging via subsidiary Electricité de Savoie using the Freshmile platform.

SOREA generates revenue from regulated electricity supply (TRV) to residential and small-professional customers (under 10 employees, revenue under €2M, power above 36 kVA), one-time network connection fees for provisional and definitive installations, subscription cable TV services under sub-brands SO'COOL and SO'MAX (being phased out from November 2026 through December 2027), and own renewable energy generation. GTM is sales-led with direct customer relationships through a renovated physical agency in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, a 24/7 emergency dispatch line, an online self-service portal, and community engagement (including the national ELD ski competition Challenge Curral). The customer base spans individual households, SMBs, local municipalities, ski resorts, and major infrastructure projects — most notably the TELT Lyon-Turin tunnel requiring 25MW of dedicated power capacity.

Name

Sorea

Legal name

Société des Régies de l'Arc (SOREA)

Website

https://sorea-maurienne.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOREA is a French local mixed-economy company that supplies electricity and operates the distribution network across eight municipalities in the Maurienne valley, serving residential, professional, and major infrastructure customers including the TELT Lyon-Turin tunnel project.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electricity Distribution and Supply

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Generation (22111), Utilities (22)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSPs) / Regulated Distribution Companies (Ring-fenced DSOs) (EUADABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Electric Providers / Competitive Distribution Utilities (where applicable) (EUADABAE), Testing, Commissioning, Maintenance & Retrofit/Modernization (Substations/Switchgear) (EUADACAL), DER Grid Services & Market Enablement (Ancillary Services, Flexibility) (EUADALAK)

Keywords

• Electricity distribution services
• Regulated electricity supply
• Renewable energy production
• Cable television services
• Network connection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-jean-de-maurienne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Supply and Distribution: Supply of electricity to residential and professional customers at regulated tariffs (TRV) and market rates, along with distribution network operation as local distribution network manager (GRD)
2. Cable TV Services: Cable television distribution through SO'COOL and SO'MAX packages, transitioning to simplified TNT/local channels offering at 8€/month
3. Renewable Energy Production: Hydropower and photovoltaic electricity generation from own installations including hydroelectric plants and solar canopies
4. Network Connection Services: Connection and disconnection services for new constructions, temporary and permanent connections, network extensions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SOREA operates as both a regulated electricity supplier (fournisseur) and the local distribution network manager (GRD) for the Maurienne valley in the French Alps, delivering electricity to residential customers at regulated tariffs (TRV) and to professional customers under yellow and green tariff options. The company owns and operates the HTA underground distribution network, the Henri Deville 63kV/20kV source substation, hydroelectric and photovoltaic generation assets, cable TV services (SO'COOL and SO'MAX), and public EV charging stations through its subsidiary Electricité de Savoie.

Product overview

SOREA is a local mixed-economy company (SEM) operating as both an electricity supplier and distribution network manager (GRD) in the Maurienne valley, with 66% public and 34% private shareholding. Its product portfolio spans four core services: electricity supply (for residential and professional customers) offering regulated tariffs; distribution network management including Linky smart meter deployment and cable TV services (SO'COOL and SO'MAX, both being scaled back from November 2026 and ending December 2027); electrical connection services for provisional and definitive installations; and renewable energy production from photovoltaic canopies (e.g., St Rémy de Maurienne 500 kWc) and hydroelectric plants. A key infrastructure asset is the Henri Deville source station (63kV/20kV, 45MW capacity) inaugurated June 2023, and the underground 20kV HTA network spanning 13km from St Julien-Montdenis to Valmeinier. SOREA also operates public EV charging stations via a Freshmile integration and provides an online customer portal for account management. A notable limitation: SOREA has no public or partner-facing API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SO'COOL: Cable TV package offering TNT channels and local channels (Maurienne TV). Price: €8 TTC/month.
• SO'MAX

Products and services

• Électricité Particuliers (Residential Electricity Supply) Electricity supply service for residential customers, offering regulated tariffs (TRV) for households with power demand up to 36 kVA. Includes dual-tariff (peak/off-peak) options following the February 2025 extinction of the base tariff for clients between 9 and 36 kVA.
• Électricité Professionnels (Professional Electricity Supply) Electricity supply service for professional customers, including regulated yellow and green tariffs (réintroduced February 2025) for small businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual revenue under €2 million. Available for businesses with subscribed power above 36 kVA.
• Raccordement Électrique Provisoire et Définitif (Electrical Connection Services) Electrical connection services for both provisional (construction sites, events) and definitive installations, handling power levels from low to high voltage. Includes connection and disconnection services for new constructions, temporary and permanent connections, and network extensions.
• Obligation d'Achat Producteur Photovoltaïque (Solar Buyback) Mandatory purchase service for photovoltaic producers, buying back electricity generated by solar installations connected to the SOREA network under regulatory obligations. Targets solar producers in the Maurienne territory.
• Télévision / Câble SO'COOL and SO'MAX Cable TV service offering the SO'COOL package (TNT channels and local channels including Maurienne TV at €8 TTC/month) and the SO'MAX package (with additional bouquets, transitioning to SO'COOL on November 1, 2026). Service scheduled for major reduction in November 2026 and full termination by December 31, 2027.
• Bornes de Recharge Véhicules Électriques (EV Charging Stations) Public EV charging stations operated through Electricité de Savoie (SOREA subsidiary) including 50kW rapid DC chargers (Combo/Chademo) and 22kW AC charging points, accessible 24/7 via Freshmile platform using QR code or RFID pass for payment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80%+ of customers restored within 2 minutes during major incidents
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Electricité de SavoiecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 February 2023Subsidiary of SOREA that installed and operates public EV charging stations (50kW rapid charger) in the territory. Installed fast charging point at St Julien Montdenis headquarters.
• RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Électricité)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2022Partnership for network restructuring in Maurienne valley. RTE and SOREA signed convention for coordinated construction of underground HTA networks. RTE building new 225kV underground link while SOREA develops 20kV distribution infrastructure. Collaboration essential for TELT tunnel project power supply.
• TELT (Tunnel Euralpin Lyon-Turin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor infrastructure project requiring dedicated power infrastructure. SOREA built connections for tunnel excavation operations including 25MW power requirements and conveyor belt material extraction systems.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Enedis: National DSO managing 95% of French electricity distribution; the dominant incumbent against which SOREA's GRD license is the localized exception. Relevant for benchmarking on network operations and regulatory context.
• EDF (Électricité de France): France's national incumbent electricity supplier and generator. Competes with SOREA in supply and provides the regulated tariff (TRV) reference against which SOREA's offers are positioned.

Direct peers

• Électricité de Strasbourg (ÉS): Historic local electricity distributor and supplier in the Strasbourg region, structured as a SEML. Comparable business model to SOREA: GRD + supplier + telecom/cable adjacent services in a defined French territory.
• GreenAlp (Gaz et Électricité de Grenoble): Local mixed-economy distribution utility (ELD) serving the Grenoble metropolitan area with electricity distribution, supply, and renewable production. Closely comparable to SOREA as a French ELD with GRD/supply roles and public-private ownership.
• Régie d'électricité et de télédistribution de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines: Local public-regie electricity distributor in the Yvelines region, similar in scale and GRD function to SOREA. Comparable as a small French local distributor offering both electricity and cable TV services.
• UEM (Usine d'Électricité de Metz): Mixed-economy local utility in Metz offering electricity distribution, supply, and district heating. Comparable as a French local mixed-economy utility combining regulated distribution with adjacent energy services.
• Energie Développement Services du Briançonnais (EDSB): Local Alpine energy utility serving the Briançon area with similar mountain-terrain HTA network challenges. Directly comparable given Alpine context and former employer of SOREA's previous director.
• Soregies (SORÉGIES): SEML electricity and gas supplier/distributor serving the Vienne department in France. Comparable to SOREA as a local mixed-economy utility with both grid management and supply activities in a defined territory.

Others

• RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Électricité): French transmission system operator (TSO); SOREA's 2022 partner for the Henri Deville substation and HTA restructuring. Comparable infrastructure partner rather than competitor, but operationally adjacent.
• Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR): France's 2nd largest hydropower producer and a major shareholder in SOREA. Comparable vertically-integrated hydro player, though operating at a much larger scale and as a producer rather than a distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soreamaurienne
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sorea.Maurienne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sorea

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sorea