Pennyrile Electric

What Pennyrile Electric does

Pennyrile Electric, legally Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation, is a member-owned rural electric cooperative founded in 1937 and headquartered in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The cooperative distributes electricity to 48,101 members across nine Kentucky counties—Butler, Caldwell, Christian, Logan, Lyon, Muhlenberg, Simpson, Todd, and Trigg—comprising 42,920 residential accounts, 4,313 commercial and small industrial accounts under 50 kW, 681 medium commercial and industrial accounts between 51 kW and 4,999 kW, and 14 large industrial customers exceeding 5,000 kW of monthly demand. Daily operations are managed by a staff of 113 employees under President & CEO Alan Gates, with governance provided by a Board of Directors elected annually by the membership.

The cooperative's distribution infrastructure comprises 5,134 miles of power lines, including 83 miles of 69 kV transmission, 3,049 miles of 12.47 kV distribution, and 2,054 miles of 25 kV distribution, supported by 24 distribution substations and 10 delivery substations at 161 kV, with total system capacity of 867,704 KVA. Summer and winter peak loads are 241,301 KW and 251,399 KW respectively, with a 65.1% average monthly load factor. Pennyrile purchases wholesale power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)—one of 155 TVA distributors—and operates four district offices in Cadiz, Elkton, Hopkinsville, and Russellville, alongside a member portal and mobile application for billing, payments, outage reporting, and usage tracking.

Pennyrile generates revenue primarily through monthly electric service charges to members, with rates set by TVA and currently running 36% below the national average per kWh. A 5.25% TVA wholesale rate increase is scheduled for October 1, translating to an average residential bill increase of $7-$8 per month. Additional revenue streams include one-time membership fees ($15.00), non-refundable connection fees ($35.00), commercial and industrial deposits equal to two times the highest previous bill, and ancillary services such as security lighting, broadband internet, and $50 meter tests. The cooperative also distributes TVA-backed programs to commercial and industrial customers, including Energy Right Solutions efficiency assessments, the Valley Investment Program (VIP), General Manufacturing Credit (GMC), Economic Development Loan Funds (EDLF), the Green Switch renewable program, and the Dispersed Power Program. Capital for infrastructure expansion is sourced in part through low-interest loans from the Rural Utilities Service and Federal Financing Bank.

Name

Pennyrile Electric

Legal name

Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation

Website

https://precc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pennyrile Electric is a member-owned rural electric cooperative founded in 1937, distributing electricity to 48,101 members across nine Kentucky counties via 5,134 miles of power lines and 24 substations, operated by 113 employees under President & CEO Alan Gates.

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), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric cooperative
• Electricity distribution services
• Power line distribution
• Electric utility service
• Energy efficiency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Elkton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Electric Service Revenue: Pennyrile Electric purchases power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and distributes it to homes, farms, and businesses through its distribution network. Members pay for electric service according to applicable rates measured by cooperative meters. Rates are set by TVA with requests initiated by cooperative's President/CEO and board of directors.
2. Membership and Connection Fees: One-time membership fee of $15.00 (applied to final bill when service is discontinued, transferable if relocating within service area) and connection fee of $35.00 (non-refundable). Commercial and industrial accounts also require deposits based on 2x highest previous bill.
3. Additional Services: Services including security lighting, broadband internet service, HVAC/energy upgrade financing, and meter testing ($50 fee for requested tests).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pennyrile Electric is a member-owned rural electric cooperative that distributes electricity purchased from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to 48,101 residential, commercial, and industrial members across nine Kentucky counties. Service is delivered through 5,134 miles of power lines and 24 distribution substations. The cooperative supplements core electric distribution with broadband internet, energy efficiency programs, renewable energy options, economic development incentives, and digital account management tools.

Product overview

Pennyrile Electric operates as a rural electric cooperative providing electricity distribution to over 48,000 members across nine Kentucky counties. The core product is electric distribution service, supplemented by digital platforms including a member portal and mobile app for account management and payments. The cooperative offers several add-on programs: energy efficiency solutions (Energy Right Solutions, Comprehensive Services Program) for commercial customers, renewable energy options (Green Switch, Dispersed Power Program, residential solar), economic development incentives (Valley Investment Program, Economic Development Loan Funds), billing programs (Residential Prepay, Plus One assistance), and security lighting services. Broadband internet service is also available to residential members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core electricity distribution service delivering TVA-purchased power to 48,101 residential, commercial, and industrial members across nine Kentucky counties through 5,134 miles of power lines.
• Broadband Internet Service High-speed internet service offered to residential members as a supplemental utility offering.
• Residential Prepay Program Pay-in-advance electricity billing option allowing residential members to manage and monitor energy usage with greater control.
• Security Lighting Outdoor security lighting service for residential and commercial properties.
• Energy Right Solutions for Business & Industry TVA-backed energy efficiency program offering free energy assessments, standard rebates for equipment replacement, and custom incentives for commercial and industrial customers.
• Valley Investment Program (VIP) Economic development incentive program offering funding and benefits to qualifying business projects in the Tennessee Valley region.
• General Manufacturing Credit (GMC)

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.999% transmission reliability achieved by TVA every year since 2000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVA is Pennyrile Electric's wholesale power supplier and rate-regulating body. TVA provides electricity generated from coal-fired plants (60%), nuclear (30%), and hydro (10%), plus renewable sources including wind, solar, and methane gas. TVA has achieved 99.999% transmission reliability every year since 2000. Pennyrile is one of 155 TVA distributors. TVA also offers economic development programs, energy efficiency incentives, and rate programs including the Valley Investment Program (VIP) and General Manufacturing Credit (GMC).
• Logan County Alliance for DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal economic development partner for Logan County area. Phone: 270.756.9575. Website: www.loganLEADs.com
• South Western Kentucky Economic Development CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner for southwestern Kentucky. Phone: 270.885.1499. Email: [email protected]
• Pennyrile Area Development DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development district contact: Jason Vincent, 270.886.9484, [email protected]. Website: www.peadd.org
• Kentucky Cabinet for Economic DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level economic development partner. Phone: 502.564.7140. Website: www.thinkkentucky.com
• TVA Economic DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVA economic development contact: Danny Isaacs, [email protected]. Website: www.tvaed.com, www.tvasites.com. Provides Valley Incentive Programs and economic guidance for industrial development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky-based rural electric distribution cooperative operating under the TVA wholesale framework with member-owned governance. Directly comparable in scale, regulatory environment, and service offerings to Pennyrile Electric.
• Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative: Kentucky-based rural electric distribution cooperative serving members in western Kentucky under similar TVA wholesale arrangements. Directly comparable member-owned utility operating in an adjacent rural service territory with overlapping customer profiles.
• Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky-based rural electric cooperative serving south-central Kentucky as a TVA distributor with a member-owned governance model. Comparable in scale, regulatory framework, and customer mix to Pennyrile Electric.
• Owen Electric Cooperative: Kentucky rural electric distribution cooperative serving northern Kentucky counties, operating as a member-owned utility with comparable residential, commercial, and industrial customer segments under TVA power supply arrangements.
• Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation: Tennessee-based rural electric cooperative distributing TVA power to members in a multi-county service territory. Comparable member-owned cooperative business model with similar residential and industrial customer mix.
• Meade County Rural Electric Cooperative: Kentucky-based rural electric cooperative with similar member-owned structure and TVA wholesale power arrangements, serving comparable residential and small commercial customers in a rural Kentucky service territory.
• Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation: Tennessee-based rural electric cooperative serving middle Tennessee with similar member-owned distribution model and TVA wholesale power supply relationship, operating comparable residential and commercial programs.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Federal wholesale power supplier and rate regulator for Pennyrile Electric. While not a direct distribution competitor, TVA sets the economic and regulatory framework within which Pennyrile operates and offers economic development and energy efficiency programs that complement Pennyrile's offerings.
• Big Rivers Electric Corporation: Kentucky generation and transmission cooperative that supplies wholesale power to distribution cooperatives, including members in the Pennyrile region. While not a direct distribution peer, Big Rivers provides the upstream power supply infrastructure analogous to TVA's role for Pennyrile.

Others

• Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives: Trade association supporting Kentucky's rural electric cooperatives including Pennyrile Electric. Publishes Kentucky Living magazine distributed to Pennyrile members and coordinates statewide cooperative initiatives, providing an enabling ecosystem relationship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pennyrile_recc
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Pennyrile-Electric/277410916473

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Pennyrile Electric