Central Electric Power Association

What Central Electric Power Association does

Central Electric Power Association (CEPA) is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Carthage, Mississippi, founded in 1937. The cooperative distributes electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial members across a four-county service territory spanning Carthage, Philadelphia, Sebastopol, and Rankin, with wholesale power sourced and regulated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). CEPA operates under a regulated rate structure with member-elected governance, and any excess revenues may be returned to members as capital credits.

The cooperative's product portfolio centers on regulated electricity distribution, supported by an array of digital and physical service channels. Core digital infrastructure includes the OrbitONE online bill payment and account management portal (built on the UtilityNexus platform), native iOS and Android mobile applications, and an interactive outage reporting and mapping system. Members also access service through four local offices with drive-thru windows, 24/7 phone payment support, bank draft auto-pay, and levelized billing. Renewable energy offerings include the Green Switch program (matching member consumption with TVA renewable blocks at $4.00 per 200 kWh per month) and the Dispersed Power Production Program (DPP), which enables residential and commercial members to interconnect distributed solar generation and sell excess output back to TVA at avoided cost.

CEPA's business model is a regulated subscription/utility revenue model: recurring monthly electricity charges per kWh consumed, plus transactional fees for new service connections ($35), reconnections ($40-$80), convenience fees on card/e-check payments ($2.35-$3.95), returned-check fees ($25), and delinquent penalties. Members pay a refundable $25 membership fee, and deposits vary by credit tier and service type. The cooperative is a long-tenured operating utility with no disclosed external capital, no M&A activity, and no recent leadership changes disclosed in the input data.

Name

Central Electric Power Association

Legal name

Central Electric Power Association

Website

https://centralepa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Electric Power Association is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial members across Carthage, Philadelphia, Sebastopol, and Rankin in Mississippi under Tennessee Valley Authority regulatory oversight.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

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), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Green Tariffs & Utility Renewable Supply Programs (EUAGADAJ), Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables) (EUAGADAC)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Electric cooperative utility
• Renewable energy programs
• Member-owned utility
• Power grid management

Headquarters

HQ city

Carthage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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. Electric Distribution Service: CEPA generates revenue through electricity distribution fees charged to its member-customers. Members pay for electricity based on usage (kWh), with rates governed by CEPA's rate schedule and subject to TVA regulatory oversight. Revenue is derived from monthly electricity bills covering energy consumption charges, along with various fee-based services including new service connections, reconnections, and member deposits. As a cooperative, any excess revenues may be returned to members as capital credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Central Electric Power Association is a member-owned electric cooperative that distributes electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial members across a four-county service territory in central Mississippi (Carthage, Philadelphia, Sebastopol, and Rankin). It operates as a regulated distribution utility under TVA oversight, delivering electricity via owned power-line infrastructure, and supplements core distribution with the OrbitONE online payment portal, iOS/Android member mobile apps, the Green Switch renewable energy matching program ($4 per 200 kWh block per month), and the Dispersed Power Production Program enabling member-owned solar systems to sell excess generation back to TVA at avoided cost.

Product overview

Central Electric Power Association (CEPA) is an electric utility cooperative providing electricity distribution services to residential, commercial, and industrial members. The company offers a unified portfolio combining core electricity service with digital customer service tools. The core offering is electricity distribution, supported by the OrbitONE online payment portal and mobile app for account management. Additional services include the Green Switch renewable energy program for carbon-conscious customers and the Dispersed Power Production Program (DPP) enabling members to sell solar-generated power back to TVA. Weather monitoring tools and outage reporting systems complement the service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core regulated electricity distribution service delivering power to residential, commercial, and industrial members across the Carthage, Philadelphia, Sebastopol, and Rankin service territory in central Mississippi under TVA oversight; members pay a refundable $25 membership fee plus monthly electricity bills at the CEPA rate schedule.
• OrbitONE Online Bill Payment Portal Online bill payment and account management portal accessible 24/7 via web at centralepa.utilitynexus.com, enabling CEPA members to pay electricity bills using credit/debit cards or eCheck (with per-transaction convenience fees and a $1,500 maximum per transaction) and to manage their member accounts.
• Central EPA Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile applications enabling members to access account services, report outages, make payments, and manage their CEPA electricity accounts on mobile devices, downloadable from the App Store and Google Play.
• Green Switch Renewable Energy Program Subscription-based renewable energy matching program in partnership with TVA that allows CEPA members to match all or part of their energy consumption with renewable sources, priced at $4.00 per block per month with each 200 kWh block matched by TVA.
• Dispersed Power Production Program (DPP) Program enabling residential and commercial CEPA members to install on-site renewable generation (e.g., solar), interconnect with the CEPA distribution system, and sell all excess generation back to TVA at TVA's avoided cost, governed by interconnection and parallel operation procedures under TVA oversight.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVA provides regulatory oversight for CEPA's rates and service practices as a public utility. CEPA distributes electricity sourced from or coordinated through TVA's power system. TVA also partners with CEPA on renewable energy programs including the Dispersed Power Production Program (DPP) for solar interconnection and the Green Switch renewable energy matching program. TVA sets avoided cost rates for excess solar generation purchased from CEPA members.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Federal corporation and wholesale power supplier that provides regulatory oversight and electricity to CEPA and 153 other local power distributors across the Southeast. Not a direct peer in retail distribution but the central upstream counterparty that defines CEPA's operating economics.
• Entergy Mississippi: Investor-owned utility serving much of western Mississippi with vertically integrated generation, transmission, and distribution. Provides competitive context for CEPA's cooperative model and rural service territory.

Others

• NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association): National trade association representing more than 900 electric cooperatives including CEPA. Provides shared services, advocacy, and program administration that shape the operating environment for all U.S. distribution cooperatives.

Direct peers

• Coast Electric Power Association: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving southern Mississippi under TVA framework. Direct comparable in member-owned model, digital bill-pay infrastructure, and renewable energy program offerings.
• East Mississippi Electric Power Association: Electric distribution cooperative serving members in east-central Mississippi under TVA's regulatory framework. Comparable in scale, member-owned governance, and renewable program offerings to CEPA.
• Monroe County Electric Power Association: Small member-owned electric cooperative distributing TVA power in northeast Mississippi. Mirrors CEPA's business model, customer mix, and reliance on TVA-administered renewable programs like Green Switch.
• Southern Pine Electric Power Association: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving parts of central and southern Mississippi under TVA oversight. Operates a similar model of distributing TVA-sourced power to residential and commercial members with comparable digital tools and renewable programs.
• Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association: Mississippi-based electric distribution cooperative serving residential and commercial members via TVA-sourced power. Comparable in scale, member services portfolio, and geographic focus.
• Singing River Electric Cooperative: Mississippi electric cooperative distributing TVA power to residential, commercial, and industrial members. Comparable in cooperative governance, rate structure, and member service programs.
• 4-County Electric Power Association: Mississippi-based electric distribution cooperative providing electricity to members across multiple central Mississippi counties. Closely comparable in service territory, customer segments, and TVA-regulated cooperative structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Central Electric Power Association