Cleveland Public Power

What Cleveland Public Power does

Cleveland Public Power (CPP) is a municipally-owned electric utility founded in 1906 and operated as a division of the City of Cleveland's Department of Public Utilities. It is the largest municipal power company in Ohio by customer count, distributing electricity to over 74,000 residential and commercial customers across Cleveland through 36 substations and an owned distribution network. Revenue is generated primarily through usage-based electric rates applied to customer consumption, supplemented by subscription-style Budget Billing (12-month averaged monthly payments plus 10%) and HEAP-administered affordability programs.

Core products include residential and commercial electric distribution service, a GIS-based Outage Map for real-time feeder outage visibility, 24/7 power outage reporting, online bill payment, and the Safe Smart CLE LED streetlight infrastructure — a $35 million program converting 61,000 streetlights to LED with integrated smart camera technology serving both illumination and Cleveland Division of Police surveillance functions. CPP also offers a green power portfolio sourced from solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biogas (via partner Quasar Energy Group's anaerobic digestion facility), plus customer-facing solar generation programs for residential and commercial segments.

CPP's go-to-market is exclusively direct-to-consumer within its franchised municipal service territory, supplemented by community-led engagement through Public Power Week events, the Student Intern Apprentice Program, and educational programs like the Solar Sprint race. Strategic partnerships extend its reach into infrastructure modernization projects (Port of Cleveland Electrification & Warehouse Modernization) and large mixed-use redevelopments (Warner & Swasey Building). The utility has held APPA RP3 Gold designation for 8 consecutive years, demonstrating sustained proficiency in reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. As a government-owned entity, CPP operates on a not-for-profit basis with no external PE or VC ownership.

Name

Cleveland Public Power

Legal name

Cleveland Public Power

Website

https://cpp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cleveland Public Power is a municipally-owned electric utility founded in 1906 that distributes electricity to 74,000+ residential and commercial customers across Cleveland, Ohio through 36 substations, operating as part of the City of Cleveland's Department of Public Utilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Utilities (22), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities (EUADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Residential Behind-the-Meter Generation (EUACALAB)

Keywords

• Municipal electric utility
• Electricity distribution
• Renewable energy
• LED streetlighting
• Outage management

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: Municipal utility providing electricity distribution to residential and commercial customers within City of Cleveland. Revenue generated through electricity rates applied to customer consumption.
2. Budget Billing Program: Monthly average billing based on prior 12-month consumption plus 10% increase, providing predictable payment option for residential customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cleveland Public Power is a municipally owned not-for-profit electric utility that distributes electricity to more than 74,000 residential and commercial customers within the City of Cleveland through 36 substations. In addition to core electric distribution, it offers renewable/green power options, a $35 million LED streetlight network (Safe Smart CLE) with integrated smart cameras, GIS-based outage mapping, bill assistance programs, and a customer apprentice program.

Product overview

Cleveland Public Power is a municipally-owned electric utility providing reliable and affordable electricity to residents and businesses in the City of Cleveland. The company operates 36 substations serving over 74,000 customers as Ohio's largest municipal power company. The core offerings include residential and commercial electric distribution services, power outage management with GIS mapping, and LED streetlight infrastructure (Safe Smart CLE program). Supplementary services include green power/renewable energy options (wind, solar, hydro), HEAP assistance programs for income-eligible customers, Budget Billing for predictable monthly costs, Student Intern Apprentice Program for workforce development, and Solar Sprint educational competitions. The company also supports infrastructure projects including the Port of Cleveland electrification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Electric Service Reliable and affordable electricity distribution to City of Cleveland residential customers, with over 110 years of service commitment.
• Commercial Electric Service Electric power distribution services for business customers throughout the City of Cleveland.
• Green Power / Renewable Energy Green power from solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biogas, and biomass sources producing electricity with superior environmental profile and no greenhouse gas emissions.
• LED Streetlight Infrastructure (Safe Smart CLE) 61,000 LED streetlight conversion with smart camera technology under the Safe Smart CLE program. Includes remote control access, brightness adjustment, malfunction alerts, and up to 50,000 hours bulb life.
• Wind Energy Wind power generation through turbines that convert wind flow into electricity via spinning rotors driving generators.
• Power Outage Reporting Service 24/7 outage reporting via phone or online form, complemented by the GIS outage map showing affected areas.
• Solar Generation Programs Solar energy programs for residential and commercial customers to generate their own electricity.
• Port of Cleveland Electrification Project Collaboration on the Port's Electrification and Warehouse Modernization project, providing power upgrades and establishing an electrical distribution hub for locomotive storage and maintenance facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 substations serving 74,000+ customers reliably
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Port of Cleveland (Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2023Collaboration on Port Electrification & Warehouse Modernization project. CPP providing power upgrades to electrical feeds and establishing Warehouse A as electrical distribution hub for locomotive storage and maintenance facility.
• American Municipal Power (AMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit corporation providing generation, transmission and distribution of electric power. CPP participates in mutual aid programs, quarterly safety training, and has received RP3 recognition through APPA. AMP crews from member utilities assist with storm restoration during major outages.
• Quasar Energy GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-of-the-art Collinwood facility utilizes organic waste to produce biogas via anaerobic digestion. Biogas (60% methane) is cleaned, separated, dried and converted to electricity and natural gas fed to CPP grid.
• Great Lakes Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPP partnered in 2006 to install first wind turbine in Cleveland, a 150 ft turbine primarily serving as exhibit demonstrating wind energy technology.
• Step ForwardcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner processing all energy assistance programs in Cuyahoga County. Customers access HEAP through Step Forward's 24/7 Automated Contact Center at 216-480-HEAP (4327).
• City of Cleveland (Department of Public Utilities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of City of Cleveland Department of Public Utilities (DPU) family alongside Cleveland Water Department and Water Pollution Control. DPU oversees utility operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Columbia Gas of Ohio: Natural gas distribution utility within Ohio providing essential utility services; comparable as a regulated Ohio utility peer, though gas-focused.
• FirstEnergy (Ohio Edison / Illuminating Company): Investor-owned utility operating across Ohio. Adjacent competitor serving customers outside Cleveland's city limits, representing the alternative CPP's customers could in theory choose.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP): Largest municipally-owned electric utility in the United States. Compares directly to CPP as a public-power municipal distributor serving a major U.S. city's residential and commercial customers with exclusive franchise.

Others

• American Public Power Association (APPA): Trade association representing 2,000+ public power utilities including CPP; relevant as the industry/peer network and source of the RP3 designation CPP has earned for 8 consecutive years.
• American Municipal Power (AMP): Joint-action agency providing generation, transmission, and distribution services to municipal utilities including CPP; directly comparable as CPP's core strategic partner and the network through which CPP accesses wholesale power.

Direct peers

• Seattle City Light: Publicly-owned electric utility of the City of Seattle. Matches CPP's structure as a municipal not-for-profit distributor with hydro and renewables generation.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): Community-owned municipal electric utility serving Sacramento, CA with generation, T&D, and a strong renewable/green-power program - the closest model to CPP's not-for-profit municipal structure and green-power offerings.
• Austin Energy: Texas municipal electric utility of the City of Austin. Comparable as another large city-owned, not-for-profit utility with renewable generation and APPA affiliation like CPP.
• Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC): Municipal electric and water utility serving Orlando with generation and distribution, comparable to CPP as a full-service, customer-owned public utility.
• Nashville Electric Service (NES): Municipally-owned electric utility serving Nashville, comparable in scale and single-city municipal model to CPP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clepublicpower
• Facebookfacebook.com/clevelandpublicpower

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cleveland Public Power