Central Missouri Electric Cooperative

What Central Missouri Electric Cooperative does

Central Missouri Electric Cooperative (CMEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative incorporated on August 20, 1938, and headquartered in Sedalia, Missouri. It distributes electricity to more than 11,000 member-meters across approximately 2,400 miles of line in Saline, Pettis, and Benton counties. CMEC operates as the top tier of a three-tiered cooperative system, receiving wholesale power from Central Electric Power Cooperative (generation and transmission) which in turn draws from Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., the generation and power procurement entity serving 2.1 million member-owners across Missouri, southern Iowa, and northeast Oklahoma.

CMEC's core product is regulated electric distribution service delivered through substations, transformers, meters, and a 7-year right-of-way clearing cycle. Member-facing products include the SmartHub web and mobile application for billing and service requests, an interactive Outage Map, a Solar Resource Hub with net metering support, a Choose EV program, and a residential demand-billed rate structure with peak-window waivers. The cooperative also operates member-benefit programs — Capital Credits (margin allocations), Capital Credits Refunds, scholarships, Youth Tour, CYCLE leadership conference, A-Team academic awards, Green Tree Partnership tree grants, and Energy in Today's Classroom teacher training — plus safety and storm preparedness programs aligned with USDA Rural Utilities Service and Missouri Section 537.340 RSMo requirements. Infrastructure-support services include pole-attachment engineering for ISPs such as Charter/Spectrum to enable fiber-to-the-home broadband.

CMEC's business model is subscription-based recurring revenue from monthly electric service charges to its member-meters: a Single-Phase Residential Rate (effective April 2026) at $32/month service availability, $0.103/kWh for the first 800 kWh, $0.095/kWh excess, and $2.50/kW demand charge; and a Small Three-Phase Rate at $52/month availability with the same kWh block. As a not-for-profit cooperative, margins are allocated back to members as Capital Credits, with a Board of nine elected director-members (three-year terms, one-member-one-vote) governing the organization. Go-to-market is sales-led through the Sedalia office, 24/7 outage phone response, the SmartHub self-service portal, and member-engagement channels including Rural Missouri magazine, Facebook, Instagram, bill inserts, and community events. Additional revenue levers include demand charges for larger commercial/agricultural members, automatic outdoor lighting rentals, energy efficiency rebates (heat pumps, water heaters, thermostats), and pole-attachment infrastructure support for broadband ISPs.

Name

Central Missouri Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Central Missouri Electric Cooperative

Website

https://cmecinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Missouri Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution utility serving over 11,000 meters across 2,400 miles of line in Saline, Pettis, and Benton counties of Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Electric cooperative services
• Member-owned utility
• Energy efficiency rebates
• Power distribution infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Sedalia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Service Revenue: CMEC generates revenue through monthly electric service charges to its over 11,000 member-meters. This includes service availability charges, kWh-based energy charges, demand charges per kW, and automatic light rentals. As a not-for-profit cooperative, revenues exceeding expenses (margins) are returned to members as capital credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Central Missouri Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution utility that delivers electricity to over 11,000 meters across 2,400 miles of line in three Missouri counties (Saline, Pettis, and Benton). Core service offerings include single-phase and small three-phase electric service with demand-based billing, supplemented by member tools such as the SmartHub account management platform, outage reporting and mapping services, energy efficiency rebates, net metering for member solar, and automatic outdoor lighting rentals.

Product overview

Central Missouri Electric Cooperative (CMEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution utility serving over 11,000 meters across 2,400 miles of line in three counties (Saline, Pettis, Benton) in Missouri. The cooperative operates as a single unified electric service with multiple member-facing products and programs: SmartHub (online account management/payment platform), an Outage Map, Solar Resource Hub, broadband infrastructure support, and various energy efficiency programs including rebates for heat pumps, water heaters, and thermostats. CMEC offers demand-based billing alongside traditional kWh rates. The cooperative's member benefit portfolio includes Capital Credits (profit-sharing), scholarships, Youth Tour, CYCLE leadership conference, A-Team academic awards, and the Green Tree Partnership. Educational programs encompass Energy in Today's Classroom for teachers and Electrical Safety programs for schools. The cooperative publishes monthly in Rural Missouri Magazine and hosts an Annual Meeting each July.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core electric distribution utility service delivered to over 11,000 meters across 2,400 miles of line in Saline, Pettis, and Benton counties in Missouri. Members receive monthly kWh and kW-demand billed electricity through a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative model.
• SmartHub Member-facing web and mobile application for account management, bill payment, service requests, usage monitoring, and outage reporting. Available via smartphone/tablet apps and the website at cmecinc.smarthub.coop.
• Single Phase Residential Rate Residential electricity rate plan with monthly service availability charge, tiered kWh consumption rates, kW demand charge, and optional automatic outdoor lighting rental for member households.
• Small Three Phase Rate Commercial and agricultural electricity rate plan providing three-phase service with monthly service availability charge and tiered kWh consumption rates for higher-demand farm and rural business operations.
• Energy Efficiency Rebates Rebate program for members purchasing qualifying energy-efficient equipment. Rebates include $100 for electric water heaters, 50% up to $750 for heat pump water heaters, 50% up to $50 for advanced thermostats, $300-$500 per ton for air source heat pumps, $150 per condensing unit for mini-split heat pumps, $750 per ton for ground source heat pumps, and 50% up to $500 for insulation.
• Net Metering Missouri net metering service allowing qualifying member solar installations to offset energy consumption over a billing period, with credits at avoided-cost rates for overgeneration.
• Automatic Outdoor Lights Rental outdoor lighting service installed on transformers or meter poles that automatically turns on at dusk and off at dawn, with a monthly rental fee of $8.60 covering electricity and repairs.
• Outage Management Service 24/7 outage reporting and restoration service with calls answered around the clock, supported by an interactive online outage map. Service follows a documented priority system: main distribution lines, tap lines, then individual service lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 11,000 member-meters served across 2,400 miles of line in 3 counties
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charter/SpectrumcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023CMEC assists Charter/Spectrum with new pole attachments including engineering and construction of larger poles for fiber-to-the-home broadband deployment. In summer 2023, Charter submitted first round of proposed attachments to CMEC poles southwest of Sedalia. This supports CMEC's mission to help ISPs deliver broadband to rural members.
• Local CommunitiesminorOthersGreen Tree Partnership provides up to $500 for communities to purchase and plant trees along roads, in parks, courthouse yards, school grounds, and historic sites. This is a community greening initiative supported by the cooperative.
• Missouri SchoolsminorOthersEnergy in Today's Classroom program provides two-day energy education courses for Missouri teachers, held in Jefferson City during August each year. Includes classroom kits, hands-on demonstration tools, and 15 hours of professional development credit aligned with state educational standards.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of electric cooperatives across 46 states providing resources, brand identity, and partnerships. Touchstone Energy is the national brand identity for the cooperative network, representing 700+ local systems serving 30.5 million member-owners. CMEC uses the Touchstone Energy brand identity.
• Central Electric Power Cooperative (G&T)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Electric Power Cooperative is CMEC's generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, located in Jefferson City. It transmits power from Associated Electric Cooperative to 51 distribution cooperatives. The G&Ts operate, build, and maintain the high-voltage transmission system.
• Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated Electric Cooperative was formed in 1961 by the six G&Ts and is responsible for generation and power procurement. It serves 2.1 million members across Missouri, southern Iowa, and northeast Oklahoma. It is currently building two new natural gas power plants (Turney Energy Center and Ripley Energy Center) to ensure reliability during peak loads.
• Missouri Electric CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissouri Electric Cooperatives coordinate on outage response and mutual aid. During winter storms, Missouri co-ops report minimal outages in-state but stand ready to assist neighboring states facing power failures. CMEC participates in this cooperative mutual aid network.
• Central Electric Power Cooperative Education SpecialistsminorOthersKeith Mueller (573-761-2844) provides electrical safety programs for elementary classrooms and community events. Joe Schmitz (573-761-2811) provides efficiency and careers in co-ops programs for junior high and high school classrooms or community events.
• Missouri Youth Programs NetworkminorOthersCYCLE (Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience) is a four-day conference held in Jefferson City and St. Louis each summer. CMEC sponsors delegates to Youth Tour in Washington D.C. These programs teach students about electric cooperatives, leadership, and state government.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Associated Electric Cooperative: Generation and power-procurement cooperative serving 2.1 million members across Missouri, southern Iowa, and northeast Oklahoma. It is CMEC's upstream power supplier and part of the same three-tiered cooperative system, making it the most economically linked peer.

Direct peers

• Central Electric Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission (G&T) cooperative based in Jefferson City, Missouri, transmitting wholesale power from Associated Electric to 51 distribution cooperatives including CMEC. Operates at the same tier-adjacent layer of the Missouri cooperative system.
• Co-Mo Electric Cooperative: Member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving parts of central Missouri, also affiliated with Associated Electric and Central Electric Power Cooperative. Closely comparable in scale, governance structure, and rural service territory profile.
• Boone Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, serving Boone and surrounding counties. Directly comparable as a fellow Missouri Touchstone Energy-affiliated distribution cooperative operating under the same three-tier system.
• Consolidated Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative headquartered in Mexico, Missouri, serving members in northeastern and central Missouri. Directly comparable in scale, member-owned structure, and rural service profile.
• Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative serving Platte and Clay counties in northwestern Missouri. Fellow Touchstone Energy Missouri distribution cooperative with comparable member-owned governance and rural-to-suburban service mix.
• Cuivre River Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative headquartered in Troy, Missouri, serving parts of eastern Missouri. Comparable in scale and structure as a Touchstone Energy Missouri distribution cooperative in the same three-tier system.
• SEMO Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative headquartered in Sikeston, Missouri, serving southeast Missouri. Comparable rural Missouri distribution cooperative under the same Associated Electric umbrella.

Others

• Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative serving southwest Missouri distribution cooperatives. Comparable as a peer-tier G&T in Missouri's broader cooperative ecosystem, though not directly tied to CMEC's transmission path.
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National brand network of 700+ electric cooperatives serving 30.5 million member-owners across 46 states. CMEC uses the Touchstone Energy brand and participates in shared resources, marketing, and member-program frameworks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cmec.coop
• Instagraminstagram.com/centralmoelectric

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 Missouri Electric Cooperative