Jo-Carroll Energy

What Jo-Carroll Energy does

Jo-Carroll Energy Inc. (NFP), doing business as JCE Co-op, is a member-owned electric cooperative founded in 1939 and first energized on May 3, 1940, serving approximately 26,500 electric and natural gas accounts across Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, and Henry counties in rural northwestern Illinois. The cooperative operates an integrated utility platform comprising 2,432 miles of electric distribution lines, 304 miles of natural gas pipeline in parts of Carroll and Whiteside counties, and 1,026 miles of fiber-to-the-premises infrastructure that supports a four-tier broadband service (Fiber-Link at 100 Mbps, Giga-Link at 1 Gbps, Giga-Link Plus at 2 Gbps, and Hyper-Link at 5 Gbps). Core technology includes AMI metering, automated load management integrated with wholesale power provider Dairyland Power Cooperative for demand response, the SmartHub web and mobile member portal, and a fiber "neighborhood build-out" model where construction is triggered by neighborhood signup thresholds. The cooperative also operates community solar arrays (including the 498 kW AC North Mount Carroll project), member-owned solar/net metering under Policy 411, and an AI-driven internet security add-on.

Name

Jo-Carroll Energy

Legal name

Jo-Carroll Energy Inc. (NFP)

Website

https://jcecoop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Electric and Broadband Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Demand Response & Load Flexibility Services (EUAMAJAF), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), DER Aggregation & Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) (EUAMAJAC)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Natural gas distribution
• Fiber broadband internet
• Rural electric cooperative
• Renewable energy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Elizabeth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Service Revenue: Residential and commercial electric distribution service billed on a monthly basis. Revenue components include energy charges, generation charges, power cost adjustments, transmission charges, facility charges, member service charges, delivery charges, and applicable taxes. The cooperative operates at cost as a not-for-profit entity, returning excess margins to members through capital credits.
2. Natural Gas Distribution Revenue: Natural gas distribution service for residential, farm, and commercial uses. Billed monthly with components including gas commodity costs passed through via the Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment (PGA), delivery charges, and facility charges. Service provided in parts of Carroll and Whiteside counties.
3. Fiber Internet Service Revenue: High-speed fiber internet subscriptions with four service tiers (Fiber-Link at $59.99/mo, Giga-Link at $74.99/mo, Giga-Link Plus at $99.99/mo, and Hyper-Link at $149.99/mo). Additional revenue from VoIP phone service ($30/mo residential, $40/mo business), internet security subscriptions ($6/mo), and equipment fees.
4. Capital Credits (Member Economic Participation): As a cooperative operating at cost, margins remaining after expenses are allocated to members based on patronage and returned through capital credits. The cooperative uses a hybrid retirement method with 5% annual payment on unretired credits and full retirement at year 25.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Jo-Carroll Energy is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric and natural gas cooperative that distributes electricity and natural gas across rural northwestern Illinois, and has built a fiber-to-the-premises network offering high-speed broadband internet, VoIP phone, and managed IT services to its members. The cooperative also operates capital credits, renewable energy programs (community solar, member-owned solar, Evergreen green power, geothermal incentives), and energy efficiency initiatives for its approximately 26,500 member accounts.

Product overview

Jo-Carroll Energy is a member-owned electric cooperative providing electric distribution, natural gas distribution, and fiber broadband internet services. The company operates as a single integrated utility with multiple service offerings: core electric and natural gas distribution services, a SmartHub digital platform for member account management and payments, four fiber internet tiers (Fiber-Link Home through Hyper-Link at speeds from 100 Mbps to 5 Gbps), VoIP phone service via fiber, managed IT services, and AI-powered internet security. Additional programs include community solar subscriptions, geothermal HVAC incentives, member-owned solar/net metering, renewable energy (Evergreen), energy auditing through Inspector Watts, demand response/load control, and Lifeline affordability support. The SmartHub portal serves as the unified digital interface for all member services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Touchstone Energy: National brand identity for the nationwide alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. JCE Co-op is a member of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.

Products and services

• Electric Service Electric power distribution service covering approximately 2,432 miles of electric line serving approximately 26,500 electric accounts in Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, and Henry counties of northwestern Illinois. Includes multiple rate schedules (Single Phase, Electric Heat, Three-Phase, Large General Service, Peak Alert Time-of-Day, Dual Fuel, Seasonal Single-Phase, Grain Drying, Irrigation, Area Lighting, Street Lighting) for residential, farm, and commercial members.
• Natural Gas Service Natural gas distribution service covering 304 miles of natural gas pipeline in parts of Carroll and Whiteside counties. Includes Farm and Residential Gas Service (Rate 42), General Gas Service (Rate 43), and Large General Gas Service (Rate 44) rate options, with monthly Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment (PGA) and Natural Gas Energy Assistance Rider (GEA) available.
• Fiber Internet Service High-speed fiber-to-the-premises broadband internet with four published service tiers (Fiber-Link 100 Mbps at $59.99/mo, Giga-Link 1 Gbps at $74.99/mo, Giga-Link Plus 2 Gbps at $99.99/mo, Hyper-Link 5 Gbps at $149.99/mo). No data caps, no hidden fees, no contracts. Reaches 10,000+ active members across 1,026 miles of fiber infrastructure in northwestern Illinois.
• VoIP Phone Service Voice over Internet Protocol phone service delivered via JCE Co-op's fiber internet with unlimited local and nationwide calling in all 50 states and Canada, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, and three-way calling. Residential pricing $30/month, business pricing $40/month. E-911 emergency calling included, with optional battery backup.
• Internet Security Service Cloud-based, AI-driven content filtering and threat protection service deployed without software installation, protecting users and networks against phishing, malware, botnet attacks, and viruses. Home pricing at $6/month with no contract or commitment required.
• SmartHub Member Portal Web-based and mobile application (iOS and Android) enabling members to view accounts, make payments by credit/debit card or electronic draft, monitor energy usage, receive alerts and notifications, and manage paperless billing. Provides 24/7 real-time account information access for all JCE Co-op members.
• Managed IT Services Managed IT solutions providing IT support for businesses including computers, networks, servers, and IT infrastructure monitoring. Includes Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) capabilities for converting capital expenses to operating expenses. Targeted at business members in the cooperative's service territory.
• Community Solar Program Subscription-based community solar program allowing members to subscribe to solar panels in a solar farm and receive credits on their electric bill on a per kilowatt-hour basis. Includes the North Mount Carroll Solar Array (498 kW AC) and Apple Canyon Lake project, with 25-year expected project life.
• Member-Owned Solar Net Metering Net metering program for member-installed solar photovoltaic systems under Policy 411 Net Metering and Avoided Cost Policy, allowing qualifying distributed energy resources to offset member electric bills.
• Evergreen Renewable Energy Program Voluntary green power program supporting renewable energy from wind, sun, and waste-to-energy sources, sourced through Dairyland Power Cooperative. Members pay an additional monthly charge to offset renewable generation costs.
• Geothermal Systems Program Geothermal heating and cooling program offering 30-70% savings on utility bills with federal tax credits and JCE Co-op incentives of $700 per ton. Includes partnership with Geothermal Alliance of Illinois (GAOI) Power-Up NW Illinois educational sessions and participating contractor network for site assessments and installations.
• Inspector Watts Energy Advisor Service Home energy analysis program offering free walk-through energy assessments and paid whole-house energy audits ($300) including thermal envelope analysis, blower door testing, and infrared camera analysis. Also provides small business and agriculture energy audits performed by energy advisor John Scott.
• Load Control and Demand Response Program Demand response program through Dairyland Power Cooperative that automatically shifts electricity use by controlling water heaters and other eligible appliances during peak demand periods. Qualifying accounts receive $6/month bill credit.
• Lifeline Discount Program FCC program providing monthly discount of $9.25 on broadband internet service or $5.25 on telephone service for eligible low-income households participating through JCE Co-op.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Dairyland Power CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1941Electric generation and transmission cooperative created in 1941 to serve as wholesale power provider to member distribution cooperatives. Dairyland provides approximately 20% of regional electricity from renewable sources and manages load control/demand response programs for JCE Co-op members in Districts 1-9. JCE Co-op's Evergreen renewable program is sourced through Dairyland. Dairyland supplies power to 24 member distribution cooperatives and 27 municipal utilities across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.
• Prairie Power, Inc. (PPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholesale electricity provider headquartered in Springfield serving 10 member cooperative owners. PPI supplies electricity primarily to JCE Co-op's Geneseo service area. PPI owns oil and gas-fired peaking units, distribution and transmission substations, and maintains 8.22% ownership (135 MW) in Prairie State Energy Campus.
• Illinois Public Energy Agency (IPEA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides combined purchasing savings for wholesale natural gas supply and related services. IPEA offers natural gas supply and associated services to municipal and cooperative entities that own their own natural gas systems.
• Bluestem Energy SolutionssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent solar developer that owns and operates the North Mount Carroll Solar Array (498 kW AC) and Apple Canyon Lake community solar projects. JCE Co-op purchases 100% of power from these solar farms for the 25-year expected life of the projects. Made possible through Illinois Shines Adjustable Block Program renewable energy credits.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNationwide alliance of more than 672 local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives in 46 states. Touchstone Energy is the national brand identity representing the largest electric utility network in the nation. JCE Co-op participates in collective marketing, standards, and cooperative development initiatives through this alliance.
• Geothermal Alliance of Illinois (GAOI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Power-Up NW Illinois geothermal educational program. GAOI partners with JCE Co-op to present educational sessions on geothermal HVAC benefits, federal tax credits, and available incentive programs. Includes participating contractor network for site assessments and installations.
• Illinois Finance AuthoritysupportingOthersState agency that awarded JCE Co-op $1,132,500 through the Grid Resilience Grant program in June 2026. Funding supports infrastructure improvements for enhanced grid reliability.
• Participating Geothermal ContractorssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContractor network including All Seasons Heating & Cooling (Dubuque, IA), Molitor Plumbing (Stockton, IL), Schuster Heating & Pump Co. (Peosta, IA), and Wirth Inc. Mechanical Contractors (Geneseo, IL). These contractors participate in Power-Up program for geothermal site assessments and installations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dairyland Power Cooperative: Wholesale generation and transmission cooperative that supplies JCE Co-op and 24 other member distribution co-ops across the upper Midwest. Operates load control/demand response programs similar to those integrated at JCE.
• Spoon River Electric Cooperative: Rural Illinois electric cooperative providing electric distribution and broadband services to a comparable low-density member base. Closely matches JCE Co-op's service mix and operational model.
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National alliance of 672+ consumer-owned electric cooperatives of which JCE Co-op is a member. Provides shared branding, standards, and cooperative development that anchors JCE's competitive positioning.
• McDonough Telephone Cooperative (MDTC Communications): Member-owned Illinois cooperative providing fiber broadband, telephone, and related services in rural western Illinois. Comparable community-owned fiber/telecom model with neighboring Illinois footprint.
• Prairie Power, Inc. Wholesale generation and transmission cooperative serving 10 member distribution cooperatives including JCE Co-op. Comparable cooperative governance model and serves overlapping Illinois member owners.
• Corn Belt Energy Corporation: Touchstone Energy electric cooperative serving rural north-central Illinois with electric distribution and fiber broadband service. Comparable in service mix, geographic profile, and member-owned cooperative structure.
• Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative: Member-owned Touchstone Energy electric distribution cooperative serving rural east-central Illinois with a similar combined electric, broadband, and member services model. Highly comparable structure, scale, and rural Illinois footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Consolidated Communications: Major fiber broadband and telephone provider serving rural and suburban communities across Illinois and 20+ states. Competes with JCE Co-op's fiber internet business in overlapping rural Illinois markets.
• MidAmerican Energy Company: Large investor-owned utility serving electric and natural gas customers across Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Operates in overlapping rural Illinois territory as a much larger incumbent with comparable electric and gas services.
• ComEd (Commonwealth Edison): Investor-owned electric utility serving northern Illinois, including territory adjacent to JCE Co-op. Provides broad electric T&D services as a much larger, regulated competitor and adjacent grid operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzQ5qO2eDnZFZuTEfqD1R0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/jocarrollenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jce-coop
• Instagraminstagram.com/jcecoop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Jo-Carroll Energy