What Athens Utilities Board does

Athens Utilities Board (AUB) is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal public utility serving Athens, Englewood, Niota, and the surrounding McMinn County, Tennessee area. AUB has operated for approximately 75 years under the governance of a Board of Directors, providing four integrated utility services: electricity distribution to roughly 13,213 customers across 475 miles of lines; water treatment and distribution to roughly 8,061 customers across 395 miles of lines, sourced from Ingleside Spring, aquifer wells, and purchased surface water; natural gas distribution to roughly 6,201 customers across 390 miles of lines, sourced via the East Tennessee Natural Gas pipeline; and wastewater collection and treatment for roughly 5,247 customers across 125 miles of collection lines, handled at two treatment plants (Oostanaula at 6 MGD with 12 MGD peak capacity, and North Mouse Creek at 1.2 MGD with 3 MGD peak capacity). The utility serves both Residential and Commercial/Industrial customer segments through direct-to-consumer distribution, with no intermediary channels.

Revenue is generated through regulated, board-set tariffs that pass through wholesale commodity costs (TVA electricity, open-market natural gas, Hiwassee Utility Commission water) plus an availability charge and operational expenses. AUB operates an Emergency Awareness Response System (EARS), an online customer portal ("My AUB"), a mobile application, and an EZ Auto Pay bank-draft program. Ancillary services include tree-trimming, outdoor residential and commercial lighting, cross-connection/backflow prevention, financial-assistance referrals via United Way of McMinn & Meigs Counties and SETHRA, and a branded biosolids fertilizer product (AthenaGro). The utility participates in TVA's Green Power Switch program offering residential renewable energy blocks (wind, solar, landfill gas) at $2 per 150 kWh, and offers information on TVA's Solar Power, Wind Power, and Landfill Gas Energy programs.

Strategically, AUB is defined by regulated monopoly status with exclusive service-territory rights, diversified four-utility integration that captures operational scale, and transparent public reporting including monthly and annual financial statements published online from 2016 through 2026. Workforce credentialing, mutual-aid participation (including deployment to Nashville Electric Service during Winter Storm Fern in January 2026), and long-running operational excellence awards at both wastewater plants indicate sustained investment in operational capability rather than market expansion.

Name

Athens Utilities Board

Legal name

Athens Utilities Board

Website

https://aub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Athens Utilities Board is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal public utility serving Athens and McMinn County, Tennessee, providing integrated electricity, water, natural gas, and wastewater services to roughly 13,200 power, 8,060 water, 6,200 gas, and 5,250 wastewater customers through owned distribution and treatment infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Utilities (221), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Electric Services (4911), Water Supply (4941), Natural Gas Distribution (4924), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Electric Utilities (Munis) (EUADABAB), Drinking Water Distribution Network Operations (Mains, Valves, Hydrants, Service Lines) (EUANAAAE), Municipal / Public Gas Distribution Systems (TLAGADAB), Municipal & Public Gas Utility Sales (EUAAADAE)

Keywords

• Public utility services
• Electricity distribution
• Water treatment
• Natural gas distribution
• Wastewater treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Power Distribution: AUB purchases all electricity from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and distributes it to approximately 13,213 customers across 475 miles of power lines. Revenue is generated through retail electricity rates set by the Board of Directors, with rates based on wholesale costs plus operational expenses.
2. Water Distribution: AUB treats and distributes water from Ingleside Spring, aquifer wells, and purchased water from Hiwassee Utility Commission to approximately 8,061 customers across 395 miles of water distribution lines. Revenue is generated through residential and commercial water rates.
3. Natural Gas Distribution: AUB purchases natural gas on the open market (primarily from Gulf of Mexico with some from Appalachia) through a purchasing agent and distributes to approximately 6,201 customers across 390 miles of distribution lines. Revenue comes from natural gas commodity costs plus distribution fees.
4. Wastewater Collection and Treatment: AUB operates two wastewater treatment plants serving approximately 5,247 customers across 125 miles of collection system lines. Revenue is generated through residential and commercial wastewater rates based on water usage.
5. Green Power Switch Program: AUB participates in TVA's Green Power Switch renewable energy program, offering customers the option to purchase renewable energy blocks at $2 per 150 kWh block, providing incremental revenue from environmentally-conscious customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Athens Utilities Board is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal public utility providing integrated electric power distribution, water treatment and distribution, natural gas distribution, and wastewater collection and treatment to residential and commercial customers across Athens, Englewood, Niota, and McMinn County, Tennessee. The utility purchases wholesale electricity from TVA and natural gas on the open market, then distributes these and its own treated water through owned infrastructure to approximately 13,200 power, 8,000 water, 6,200 gas, and 5,200 wastewater customers.

Product overview

Athens Utilities Board (AUB) is a community-owned, not-for-profit municipal utility providing integrated utility services to Athens, Tennessee, and surrounding McMinn County. The company operates as a single consolidated utility with four core service divisions: Power (electricity distribution to ~13,200 customers via 475 miles of lines), Water (treatment and distribution to ~8,061 customers via 395 miles of lines from Ingleside Spring, aquifer wells, and Hiwassee River), Natural Gas (distribution to ~6,201 customers via 390 miles of lines), and Wastewater (treatment for ~5,247 customers via 125 miles of collection lines at two treatment plants). Customer-facing digital offerings include a web/mobile customer portal (My AUB Online Account), EZ Auto Pay bank draft program, and an Emergency Awareness Response System (EARS) for outage management. Green energy programs under the TVA Green Power Switch umbrella include solar, wind, and landfill gas options. Ancillary services encompass tree trimming, outdoor lighting, backflow prevention testing, and branded AthenaGro fertilizer from treated biosolids. All divisions are supported by transparent financial reporting with monthly and annual statements published from 2016-2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AthenaGro Fertilizer: AUB's natural fertilizer product made from processed wastewater biosolids, marketed as 'The Natural Choice' for agricultural and lawn applications.

Products and services

• Electric Power Distribution Distribution of electricity purchased wholesale from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to approximately 13,213 residential and commercial customers across Athens, Englewood, Niota, and McMinn County, Tennessee, through approximately 475 miles of energized power lines.
• Water Treatment and Distribution Treatment and distribution of drinking water from Ingleside Spring, aquifer wells, and purchased Hiwassee River water through the Vernon Wade Filter Plant to approximately 8,061 customers across 395 miles of water distribution lines.
• Natural Gas Distribution Distribution of natural gas purchased on the open market (primarily from the Gulf of Mexico, with some from Appalachia) to approximately 6,201 residential and commercial customers across 390 miles of distribution lines, billed at commodity cost plus distribution fees.
• Wastewater Collection and Treatment Collection and treatment of wastewater for approximately 5,247 customers across 125 miles of collection system lines via two treatment plants: Oostanaula Plant (6 MGD permitted, up to 12 MGD peaks) and North Mouse Creek Plant (1.2 MGD, up to 3 MGD peaks).
• My AUB Online Account Online customer portal and mobile application allowing residential and commercial customers to view usage, pay bills, manage accounts, report outages, and request service.
• EZ Auto Pay Bank Draft Program Automated monthly bill payment via bank draft for residential and commercial utility customers, eliminating manual bill handling while providing monthly usage statements.
• Outdoor Security Lighting Outdoor lighting service for residential customers to improve property safety and nighttime visibility, billed as a recurring utility charge.
• Outdoor Commercial Lighting Outdoor security and area lighting solutions for business and commercial customers, billed as a recurring utility charge.
• Tree Trimming Services Vegetation management program maintaining over 400 miles of overhead distribution lines using lateral and directional pruning techniques endorsed by certified arborists, on a 3-5 year maintenance cycle.
• Green Power Switch Program Optional renewable energy program offering customers the ability to purchase blocks of green power from wind, solar, and biogas sources (sourced from Tennessee, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama) at $2 per 150 kWh block per month.
• AthenaGro Fertilizer Branded soil-conditioning fertilizer product produced from treated biosolids (digested solids) generated by AUB's wastewater treatment process, marketed as 'The Natural Choice' for agricultural and lawn applications.
• Business and Industry Energy Services Commercial energy offerings including Power Quality monitoring, Comprehensive Services Program, Power Credits and Incentives, and Interruptible Power Options for business and industrial customers with specialized reliability and power-quality needs.
• Financial Assistance Programs Payment assistance including pay agreements and referrals to United Way of McMinn & Meigs Counties and SETHRA (Southeastern Tennessee Human Resource Agency) for customers struggling with utility bills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oostanaula Wastewater Plant received Kentucky-Tennessee Water Environment Association's Continued Operational Excellence Award for 10 consecutive years (2007-2016)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Tennessee Natural Gas (ETNG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025East Tennessee Natural Gas (ETNG), a pipeline company owned by Enbridge, Inc., is the pipeline supplier for natural gas delivered to AUB. ETNG announced a rate increase of nearly 120% approved by FERC, effective November 1, 2025. AUB has no alternative pipelines in East Tennessee, making this an essential monopoly relationship.
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUB purchases all of its electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which generates electric power throughout the Tennessee Valley using fossil fuel power plants, hydroelectric plants, and nuclear power plants. The power is transmitted via high-voltage lines to local power distributors such as AUB, which then distributes to customers. AUB also participates in TVA's Green Power Switch renewable energy program.
• Hiwassee Utility CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUB purchases treated surface water from the Hiwassee River through the Hiwassee Utility Commission, which supplements AUB's own water sources (Ingleside Spring and aquifer wells). This partnership provides additional water supply capacity for the service area.
• Green Power Switch (TVA Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUB participates in TVA's Green Power Switch program, offering customers renewable energy from sources including wind, solar, and biogas. The renewable resources come from sites in Tennessee, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama.
• United Way of McMinn & Meigs CountiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUB partners with United Way of McMinn & Meigs Counties as part of its financial assistance programs to help customers who are struggling to pay their utility bills.
• SETHRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUB partners with SETHRA (Southeastern Tennessee Human Resource Agency) as part of its financial assistance programs to help qualifying customers with utility bill payment.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chattanooga EPB: Chattanooga EPB is a municipally-owned electric and telecommunications utility serving Chattanooga, Tennessee. Comparable to AUB as a Tennessee municipal electric distribution utility in the TVA service area with similar regulatory and wholesale-supply dynamics, though it has added fiber broadband.
• Huntsville Utilities: Huntsville Utilities is a municipal utility serving Huntsville and Madison County, Alabama, providing electric, natural gas, and water services. Comparable to AUB as a multi-service municipal utility in the broader TVA service region with similar TVA-served electric distribution.
• Cleveland Utilities: Cleveland Utilities is a municipally-owned public utility serving Cleveland, Tennessee, providing electric, water, wastewater, and natural gas services. Directly comparable to AUB as a smaller Tennessee municipal multi-utility operating in the same TVA region with similar service-line structure.
• Knoxville Utilities Board: KUB is a Tennessee municipal utility providing integrated electric, natural gas, water, and wastewater services to ~470,000 customers across Knoxville and Knox County. It is the closest direct peer to AUB as a multi-service municipal utility operating in the TVA region with the same four-utility structure.
• Memphis Light, Gas and Water: MLGW is the largest three-service municipal utility in the United States, providing electricity, natural gas, and water service to ~430,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee. Directly comparable to AUB as a Tennessee multi-service public utility, though at materially larger scale.
• Bristol Tennessee Essential Services: BTES is a municipally-owned electric, fiber, and water utility serving Bristol, Tennessee. Comparable to AUB as a smaller Tennessee municipal multi-utility in the TVA region with similar electric and water service-line structure.
• Nashville Electric Service: Nashville Electric Service is the 11th-largest public electric utility in the US, serving ~200,000 customers in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Comparable to AUB as a Tennessee municipal electric distribution utility in the TVA service area, and a mutual aid partner that AUB crews assisted during Winter Storm Fern 2026.
• Tullahoma Utilities Authority: Tullahoma Utilities Authority is a small Tennessee municipal utility providing electric, water, wastewater, and natural gas services to Tullahoma and surrounding areas. Directly comparable to AUB as a similarly-sized multi-service municipal utility with the same four-utility footprint.

Others

• American Public Power Association: APPA is the national trade association representing ~2,000 community-owned, not-for-profit public power utilities serving ~49 million Americans. Relevant as AUB's industry body and mutual aid network coordinator rather than a direct competitor or service provider.
• Tennessee Valley Authority: TVA is a federally-owned electric utility that serves as AUB's sole wholesale power supplier under a long-term arrangement. Not a competitor, but the defining wholesale supplier and program partner (Green Power Switch) that shapes AUB's electric service economics and renewable energy offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AthensAUB
• Facebookfacebook.com/AthensUtilitiesBoard
• Instagraminstagram.com/athens_aub/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Athens Utilities Board