What Trico Electric Cooperative does

Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative founded in 1945 by local farmers seeking to bring electric power to rural communities surrounding Tucson, Arizona. It distributes electricity to over 50,000 residential and commercial members across Marana, Sahuarita, Vail, Green Valley, Avra Valley, and other southern Arizona communities under rates regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The cooperative operates with a member-elected Board of Directors and a service territory divided into approximately 170 fiber planning zones, returning operating margins to members through Membership Equity retirements—$4.5 million in 2024 marking 15+ consecutive years of retirement distributions.

Trico's distribution infrastructure centers on an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) enabling self-healing grid capability—automated outage detection, fault isolation, and power rerouting that materially shortens restoration times for most affected members. The cooperative is constructing a SmartGrid Fiber Backbone connecting its electric substations via high-speed fiber-optic communications, expected to complete in fall 2026. Supporting infrastructure includes automated reclosers, sensor networks, weather stations, drone-based pole and overhead line inspections, and wildfire risk assessment software. In April 2026 Trico launched Trico Fiber, a fiber-to-the-home internet service with tiered packages ranging from 500 Mbps at $60/month to 8 Gbps at $145/month, leveraging the same fiber backbone and achieving over 10,000 member pre-subscriptions prior to launch.

Trico's revenue model is subscription-recurring across residential and commercial electric distribution, planned fiber internet service, EV charging rates (Time-of-Use and Unlimited), the Thermostat Energy Management Program (TEMP) demand response, energy efficiency loans at 1.99%, and renewable/solar programs including community solar subscriptions and boost rates. Distribution occurs through a SmartHub self-service portal and mobile application, a member services call center, commercial account specialists for enterprise accounts, in-person service at the Marana headquarters, and a zone-based pre-subscription build-out model for fiber powered by CrowdFiber. The cooperative employs 165+ staff as of March 2026 and reports an average ACSI customer satisfaction score of 85, above industry average.

Name

Trico Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://trico.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving over 50,000 residential and commercial members in southern Arizona communities surrounding Tucson. Operates SmartGrid infrastructure, launched Trico Fiber broadband in 2026 alongside regulated electric distribution and member equity programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Distribution Services

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)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Utility Distribution Companies (Electric + Gas/Water Distribution) (EUADABAJ)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Cooperative utility services
• Fiber internet service
• Energy efficiency programs
• Member equity retirements

Headquarters

HQ city

Marana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Electric Service: Monthly customer charges plus usage-based kWh charges for residential electricity distribution. Revenue covers power supply costs, grid maintenance, and operational expenses. Not-for-profit model means margins are returned to members as Membership Equity.
2. Commercial Electric Service: Various commercial rate classes with demand charges, usage rates, and monthly customer charges for business electricity distribution.
3. Fiber Internet Service (Planned): Planned fiber-to-the-home internet service with tiered speed packages ranging from 500 Mbps to 8 Gbps, targeting summer 2026 launch. Revenue will help offset SmartGrid Fiber Backbone costs.
4. EV Charging Programs: Experimental EV Time of Use Rate offering up to 400 kWh at reduced rates for off-peak charging, and EV Unlimited Rate with fixed monthly cost for unlimited charging during designated hours.
5. Energy Programs and Rebates: Revenue from renewable energy boost rates, community solar subscriptions, and energy efficiency program participation fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Trico Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative that distributes electricity to over 50,000 residential and commercial members across communities surrounding Tucson, Arizona. Its offerings include monthly electricity service across residential and commercial rate classes, a planned fiber-to-the-home internet service (Trico Fiber), energy efficiency and demand response programs (TEMP thermostat program, EV charging rates, community solar, Energy Efficiency Loan on-bill financing), construction and pole attachment services, and member programs such as Membership Equity retirements, scholarships, and Co-op Connections discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trico Fiber: High-speed fiber-to-the-home internet service launched in 2026, offering packages ranging from 500 Mbps to 8 Gbps for residential and business customers.

Products and services

• Residential Electric Service Monthly electric distribution service for residential households in southern Arizona communities surrounding Tucson, billed via a monthly customer charge plus usage-based kWh charges. New rates effective January 1, 2026 include a Rate Case Expense Surcharge of $0.07 per customer per month and are supplemented by the Power Cost Adjustor (PCA), which passes wholesale power cost changes through to members.
• Commercial Electric Service Electric distribution service for businesses, developers, contractors, and agricultural operations, offered through multiple commercial rate classes that include demand charges, usage rates, and monthly customer charges. Backed by dedicated commercial account specialists who coordinate line extensions, pole attachments, economic development support, and property/infrastructure analysis.
• Trico Fiber Internet Service Member-driven fiber-to-the-home internet service for residential and business members in Trico's service territory. Offered via tiered subscription packages: Browsing Essentials (500 Mbps, $60/month), Family Streaming (1 Gbps, $70/month), Digital Household (2 Gbps, $85/month), Business Connect (8 Gbps, $145/month), and a Snowbird seasonal package ($20/month, May-August).
• Energy Efficiency Loan Program On-bill financing program allowing qualified members to finance energy efficiency home improvements through their monthly electric bills at a 1.99% fixed interest rate. Loan amounts up to $10,000 require 620-700 credit score; amounts over $10,000 require 701+ credit score with a lien.
• Thermostat Energy Management Program (TEMP) Demand response program for members who enroll compatible smart thermostats (BYOD with manufacturers such as ecobee and Honeywell), providing a $50 one-time incentive per device (up to 2 devices) plus a $15 monthly bill credit June-September, for a total first-year value of $110 per device. Trico may pre-cool homes by lowering the thermostat up to 3 degrees one hour before events, then increase by up to 4 degrees during events lasting up to 4 hours.
• EV Time of Use Rate Usage-based electric rate for EV-owning members offering up to 400 kWh at a 49% rate reduction for off-peak EV charging between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., available to the first 1,000 members who sign up.
• EV Unlimited Rate Fixed monthly subscription electric rate for unlimited EV charging during designated hours (9 a.m.-4 p.m. and 10 p.m.-6 a.m.), with Trico installing a Level 2 charger at the member's home. $0.25/kWh charges apply for charging outside these hours. Currently on waitlist due to equipment delays.
• In-House Line Locator Service Underground utility line location service performed by Trico's three in-house Line Locators in coordination with Arizona 811 (the statewide one-call utility location service), supporting construction safety and damage prevention in Trico's service territory.
• Community Solar Subscription Subscription to community-scale solar generation facilities operated by Trico, allowing members to support renewable generation without installing rooftop solar. Pairs with Community Solar Rate and Renewable Energy Boost Rate options for participating members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average ACSI satisfaction score of 85, above industry average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Casino del Sol ResortminorOthersCasino del Sol Resort serves as the venue for Trico's Annual Membership Meetings and community events, hosting 750+ attendees annually.
• Wildfire (Arizona Community Action Association)minorOthersTrico provides donations to Wildfire and its partner agencies to assist members with bill payment assistance and utility support programs.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tucson Electric Power (TEP): Investor-owned electric utility serving the Tucson metro area with overlapping service territory to Trico's distribution footprint. Most directly comparable peer for Trico's core electric distribution business and a likely competitor for the data center and large commercial loads Trico is targeting.
• Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative: Another Arizona-based rural electric distribution cooperative serving members across southeastern Arizona. Closely comparable in cooperative governance, member-driven capital model, rate-regulated structure, and rural Arizona operating context.
• Mohave Electric Cooperative: A member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving rural northwestern Arizona including parts of the Colorado River corridor. Comparable to Trico as a peer Arizona electric cooperative of similar scale and operating model.
• Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative: Small rural Arizona electric cooperative serving members in southeastern Arizona near the New Mexico border. Comparable cooperative model, rural Arizona context, and member-driven governance, though smaller in scale than Trico.
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative: One of the largest electric distribution cooperatives in the United States, serving over 400,000 members across Central Texas. Comparable as a member-owned distribution cooperative scaling fiber, broadband, and member energy programs, though operating at materially larger scale and in a different state.
• Ozark Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative serving parts of Missouri and Oklahoma, with a connected broadband/fiber subsidiary. Strongly comparable to Trico in terms of distribution-cooperative structure, fiber-as-new-vertical strategy, and member-driven growth.
• Tri-County Electric Cooperative (Texas): Texas-based rural electric distribution cooperative that has pursued fiber broadband expansion (via subsidiary True Wireless and related broadband efforts). Comparable in cooperative distribution-plus-fiber strategy and member-driven deployment model.

Broad incumbents

• Salt River Project (SRP): A large Arizona-based electric and water utility serving the Phoenix metro area with a generation-transmission-retail integrated model. Comparable in operating geography (Arizona) and breadth of member/customer programs (solar, EV, irrigation), but operates at far greater scale and across a different metro.

Others

• Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO): A generation-and-transmission cooperative that supplies wholesale power to Trico and other Arizona distribution coops. Not a direct competitor but a key upstream supplier and structural peer within the cooperative ecosystem that determines Trico's input power costs.

Regional players

• UniSource Energy Services: Investor-owned utility serving parts of southern Arizona (including Santa Cruz and Mohave counties) with electric and natural gas service. Adjacent regional peer in distribution territory and customer base, but operates with a different (investor-owned) governance model than Trico.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TricoElectricAZ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjRuCmf-EscVvXLTDTqMkMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/tricoelectric
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trico-electric-cooperative
• Instagraminstagram.com/tricoelectricaz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Trico Electric Cooperative