What Austin Utilities does

Austin Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal utility headquartered at 1908 14th Street NE, Austin, Minnesota, delivering electric, natural gas, and water services to more than 12,000 customers within a service territory of approximately 23,000 residents in southeastern Minnesota. The utility is governed by a Board of Commissioners and operated under a cost-of-service ratemaking structure with no profit margin, meaning rates are set to recover operating costs only. Wholesale power is procured through the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA).

The utility's core distribution assets are being modernized through a multi-year Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployment running from 2022 through 2026, replacing electric, natural gas, and water meters across the entire service territory with two-way communicating smart meters (15-minute electric and hourly gas/water interval data). Customer-facing operations run on the SmartHub web portal and mobile application (Android and iOS), which provide account management, bill payment, usage analytics, and rebate applications. Distribution is carried out through an in-person service center, phone support, online self-service, and partner drop boxes located at City of Austin offices, Jim's Marketplace Foods, and Hy-Vee.

Revenue is usage-based across the three core utility services (electric, natural gas, water), supplemented by subscription revenue from the SOLARCHOICE community solar program ($28.34/month for 6 years or $340 per panel), rate-based sewer billing on behalf of the City of Austin, and ancillary program fees including load-control opt-out ($15/month during peak season June-September), EV charger rebates, House Call energy audit co-pays, and hydrant meter rentals. The customer base is segmented into residential (primary), commercial and industrial (primary, including Hormel Foods, Apple Valley Foods, Austin Public Schools, The Hormel Institute, the City of Austin, and Mower County), and landlords/property owners. Customer acquisition is direct-to-consumer via the service center, phone, and SmartHub digital onboarding, with go-to-market supported by a YouTube video series (AUseful), a monthly AU Connections newsletter, the Wright Here Right Now podcast, and an extensive Energy Hero community partnership program.

Name

Austin Utilities

Legal name

Austin Utilities

Website

https://austinutilities.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Austin Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal utility headquartered in Austin, Minnesota, delivering electric, natural gas, and water services to over 12,000 residential and commercial customers in southeastern Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Electric Utilities (Munis) (EUADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulated Natural Gas Utility (LDC) Customer Acquisition & Switching (EUAAADAA), Municipal / Public Gas Distribution Systems (TLAGADAB)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Natural gas distribution
• Water utility services
• Community solar programs
• Energy efficiency rebates

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Utility Service: Community-owned not-for-profit electric utility serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Rates are set to cover cost of service with no profit margin.
2. Natural Gas Distribution: Community-owned not-for-profit natural gas utility providing distribution service to customers within service territory.
3. Water Utility Service: Community-owned not-for-profit water utility providing drinking water distribution to customers.
4. SOLARCHOICE Community Solar Program: Community solar garden subscription program where customers purchase panels at $340 per panel or pay $28.34/month for 6 years. Revenue from solar subscriptions plus ongoing electric service.
5. Rate-Based Services: Sewer rates billed and collected on behalf of City of Austin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Austin Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal utility delivering electric power, natural gas, and water distribution services to over 12,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Austin, Minnesota. Beyond core utility delivery, it operates customer-facing programs including the SOLARCHOICE community solar garden, Conserve & Save energy efficiency rebates, ENERGY HERO peak demand reduction, Load Control smart device program, and whole-house energy audits.

Product overview

Austin Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal utility providing electric, natural gas, and water services to over 12,000 customers in Austin, Minnesota. The utility operates as a single integrated platform offering core services alongside customer-facing programs including SmartHub for account management, the SOLARCHOICE community solar program, Conserve & Save rebates for energy efficiency, ENERGY HERO peak demand reduction, and AMI smart metering. Services are designed for both residential and business customers with programs targeting energy conservation, load management, renewable energy adoption, and water conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOLARCHOICE: Austin Utilities' community solar program that allows customers to purchase solar energy without installing panels on their rooftop or property.
• Conserve & Save
• Energy Hero
• HeatShare Round Up

Products and services

• Electric Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 MW of demand reduction saves approximately $170,000 per year for customers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Berg's NurseryminorOthersPartner nursery in the Partners In Planting tree rebate program. Customers purchasing qualifying trees from this nursery receive a $10 rebate.
• Dolans Landscape CenterminorOthersPartner nursery in the Partners In Planting tree rebate program. Customers purchasing qualifying trees from this nursery receive a $10 rebate.
• Stiver's Nursery and LandscapingminorOthersPartner nursery in the Partners In Planting tree rebate program. Customers purchasing qualifying trees from this nursery receive a $10 rebate.
• Salvation Army - Austin CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Salvation Army organization partnered with Austin Utilities for the HeatShare program, providing emergency utility assistance for community members in need. HeatShare Round Up allows customers to round up bills or donate fixed amounts to support those struggling with utility bills.
• SEMCACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Action Agency administering the federally funded Energy Assistance Program for Minnesota residents. Austin Utilities refers customers to SEMCAC for heating assistance and weatherization programs.
• Allegiant Utility ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInstallation partner for AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) project deploying new electric, natural gas, and water meters across Austin Utilities' service territory. Works alongside Austin Utilities staff for meter changeouts.
• Minnesota Energy ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural gas utility partnered with Austin Utilities to provide authorized insulation contractor listing for Conserve & Save House Call energy audit program participants. Rebates for attic air sealing, attic insulation, and wall insulation require use of Minnesota Energy Resources authorized contractors.
• Energy Solutions Partners (ESPs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of trade allies/contractors who work with Austin Utilities to help commercial and industrial customers implement energy efficiency improvements. ESPs analyze energy use, propose upgrades, assist with implementation, and help customers access Conserve & Save rebates and 0% interest financing up to $25,000.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rochester Public Utilities: Rochester, MN community-owned municipal utility providing electric and water service to a similar customer base in southeastern Minnesota. Operates with a comparable non-profit structure, board governance, and customer programs, making it the closest direct peer in the same regional market.
• Owatonna Public Utilities: Owatonna, MN municipal utility serving a comparable small Minnesota community with electric, water, and wastewater services. Operates as a non-profit municipal utility with similar customer scale, service profile, and program offerings.
• Albert Lea Electric Department: Albert Lea, MN municipal electric utility serving a similar small southern Minnesota community. Operates with comparable service territory size, customer scale, and community-owned municipal structure in a neighboring market.
• Marshall Municipal Utilities: Marshall, MN community-owned municipal utility providing electric, water, and wastewater service. Operates as a non-profit with comparable scale, three-service platform, and rural Minnesota service profile.
• Cedar Falls Utilities: Cedar Falls, IA community-owned municipal utility providing electric, natural gas, water, and communications services. Multi-service municipal utility with a similarly integrated platform serving a small Midwest city of comparable scale.
• Muscatine Power & Water: Muscatine, IA municipal utility providing electric, water, and communications services. Multi-service community-owned utility with similar scale and customer base in a comparable small Midwest industrial city.

Broad incumbents

• Fort Collins Utilities: Fort Collins, CO municipal utility providing electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater services. Significantly larger than Austin Utilities but a comparable community-owned multi-service municipal utility with advanced renewable and efficiency programs serving as a reference point.
• Austin Energy: Austin, TX community-owned electric utility, part of the City of Austin. Much larger and electric-only (no gas or water), but shares the 'Austin' name and municipal ownership structure, with industry-leading renewable and efficiency programs that provide a useful reference point.

Others

• Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA): Wholesale power joint-action agency supplying Austin Utilities and other member municipal utilities in southern Minnesota. Not a direct competitor but a critical supplier/partner; comparable as a regional municipal power agency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/austin-public-utilities

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Austin Utilities