Clarke-Washington Electric Membership

What Clarke-Washington Electric Membership does

Clarke-Washington Electric Membership Corporation (CWEMC, DBA Clarke-Washington EMC / CWEMC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered at 9000 Highway 43 in Jackson, Alabama, with a branch office in Chatom. Organized on March 2, 1936, in Coffeeville, Alabama, the cooperative energized its first lines in July 1937, having received the first Rural Electrification Administration loan issued in the state ($65,000 on September 5, 1936). It serves approximately 20,007 meters across 4,152 miles of distribution line in Clarke and Washington counties and portions of Wilcox and Monroe counties in Alabama; wholesale power is procured through PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, a generation-and-transmission provider serving 20 distribution members.

The cooperative's core product is regulated electricity distribution to residential members (with commercial service also offered but not separately quantified), supplemented by member-facing services including E-Bill/Auto Pay, a mobile app, a CheckOut barcode payment network, levelized billing, solar-energy advisory consultations, home-energy calculator/adventure tools, and educational initiatives such as the Youth Tour, Safety City demonstrations, Kids Korner, scholarships, and the Alabama Living magazine. Technology is conventional utility infrastructure — state-of-the-art distribution equipment with extensive right-of-way and tree-trimming programs — paired with a digital member portal and mobile application; no AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary platforms are evidenced in the input data.

CWEMC operates under a sales-led, community-driven go-to-market: new members pay a $5 membership fee, $5 application fee, and $40-$50 connection fee, after which they pay recurring monthly electricity charges. Credit/debit payments carry a $2.00 convenience fee and e-check payments a $1.00 fee (pass-throughs to the payment processor). As a cooperative, any annual margins after expenses are allocated back to members as capital credits rather than retained as profit; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Governance is by a nine-member elected board of directors representing geographic districts, with three-year terms.

Name

Clarke-Washington Electric Membership

Legal name

Clarke-Washington Electric Membership Corporation

Website

https://cwemc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clarke-Washington EMC is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative that has served approximately 20,007 meters across 4,152 miles of line in rural Alabama (Clarke and Washington counties) since 1937, procuring wholesale power through PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric 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
• Electricity distribution network
• Energy billing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: The cooperative generates revenue through monthly electricity distribution fees charged to its approximately 20,007 member-customers. As a not-for-profit cooperative, any remaining margins at year-end are allocated back to members in the form of capital credits based on their electricity usage.
2. Membership and Connection Fees: New members pay a $5 membership fee, $5 application fee, and a $50 connection fee (if service line not attached to house) or $40 connection fee (if service line is connected). Name change transfers cost $5.
3. Payment Processing Fees: Convenience fees charged for credit/debit card payments ($2.00 per transaction) and e-check payments ($1.00 per transaction). These are pass-through fees from the payment processing company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clarke-Washington EMC distributes electricity to approximately 20,007 residential and commercial member-owners across Clarke and Washington counties and portions of Wilcox and Monroe counties in Alabama through 4,152 miles of power lines. The cooperative sells electric service as its core product, charges a $5 membership fee plus connection fees for new accounts, and supports billing through an online portal, mobile app, barcode payments, and walk-in offices. As a not-for-profit cooperative, year-end margins are allocated back to members as capital credits rather than retained as profit.

Product overview

Clarke-Washington Electric Membership Corporation operates as a not-for-profit electric cooperative providing core electricity distribution services to residential and commercial members across Clarke and Washington counties in Alabama. The cooperative offers a unified portfolio of electric service products supplemented by member-facing digital tools including E-Bill/Auto Pay, CheckOut barcode payments, a mobile app, and online calculators. Additional offerings include solar energy advisory services, scholarship programs, and safety education initiatives like Safety City. The cooperative was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Jackson, Alabama.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the best outage records of any cooperative in the area despite heavily forested service territory

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PowerSouth Energy CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowerSouth Energy Cooperative, headquartered in Andalusia, Alabama, is a generation and transmission (G&T) electric cooperative that serves the wholesale power needs of 20 distribution members, including 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems, in Alabama and northwest Florida. Clarke-Washington EMC receives its wholesale power supply through this partnership.
• Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAREA is a member-owned federation of rural electric cooperatives providing a wide range of services statewide. The 23 rural electric cooperatives that make up AREA's membership, including Clarke-Washington EMC, deliver power to more than 1 million people, representing one-fourth of Alabama's population.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRECA is a national service organization representing more than 900 rural electric systems in 47 states. NRECA works to empower electric cooperatives through advocacy in Washington D.C., professional development for employees, promotion of the cooperative model, legal and tax research, and community development initiatives.
• Touchstone EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTouchstone Energy is a national cooperative brand used by Clarke-Washington EMC on their website, providing a unified identity for electric cooperatives and enabling marketing resources and tools.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PowerSouth Energy Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission electric cooperative headquartered in Andalusia, Alabama, that supplies Clarke-Washington EMC and 19 other distribution members across Alabama and NW Florida. Directly comparable as the wholesale supplier and as a fellow Alabama electric cooperative structure.

Direct peers

• Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corporation: Alabama rural electric distribution cooperative serving members across northwest Alabama. Closely comparable member-owned EMC with similar not-for-profit distribution model, member governance, and rural residential customer base.
• Cullman Electric Cooperative: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving Cullman County and surrounding areas in north-central Alabama. Directly comparable as a Touchstone Energy-affiliated Alabama EMC with similar revenue model and member programs.
• Tombigbee Electric Cooperative: Alabama rural electric distribution cooperative serving parts of west Alabama. Comparable in scale, mission, and structure as a member-owned EMC operating in adjacent rural counties.
• Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative: Member-owned electric cooperative serving parts of central and east-central Alabama. Closely comparable not-for-profit EMC structure, member programs, and rural distribution focus.
• Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative: Alabama electric distribution cooperative serving rural Sand Mountain region in northeast Alabama. Comparable rural EMC with similar scale, governance, and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative: Member-owned Alabama EMC serving portions of central Alabama. Directly comparable as a Touchstone Energy cooperative with similar not-for-profit distribution and member governance model.
• Baldwin County Electric Membership Corporation: Alabama EMC serving Baldwin County in south Alabama. Directly comparable member-owned electric cooperative with similar coastal-rural geography and member programs.

Others

• Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA): Federation representing Alabama's 23 rural electric cooperatives including Clarke-Washington EMC, collectively serving over 1 million Alabamians. Comparable as the state-level trade association governing the cooperative ecosystem in which Clarke-Washington operates.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National service organization for more than 900 rural electric systems across 47 states, providing advocacy, training, and cooperative brand support to Clarke-Washington EMC and other member systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ClarkeWashingtonEMC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarke-washington-electric-membership-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Clarke-Washington Electric Membership