Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative

What Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative does

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative (DETEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative headquartered at 880 Texas Hwy 21 East in San Augustine, Texas. Founded in 1938 under the Rural Electrification Act, the cooperative distributes electricity to approximately 40,000 meters across eight East Texas counties (San Augustine, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Newton, Panola, Jasper, Sabine, and Rusk) through 7,000 miles of distribution infrastructure. DETEC does not generate power; it purchases wholesale electricity from Texas-Louisiana Cooperative (sourced through Texas Power and Light Company and Southwestern Electric Power Company) and resells it to member-owners at cost, with any excess revenue returned to members as capital credits proportional to usage. The cooperative employs approximately 100 people across operations, engineering, billing, customer service, fleet, safety, and administration.

DETEC's core technology stack is conventional utility infrastructure: physical distribution lines, meter reading systems, and outage management tools. Member-facing digital products include an online member portal (billing.deepeast.com) and the DETECmobile native application for iOS and Android, both supporting account management, bill payment via bank draft or credit card, Auto Pay enrollment, paperless billing, outage reporting with location tracking, and push notifications. The cooperative is affiliated with Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, a national network of 700+ cooperatives serving 30.5 million member-owners, which provides shared resources and member benefit programs including the Co-op Connections savings network. DETEC also operates community-facing programs including ETREYS Summer Camp (10 sponsored students annually), the Government-in-Action Youth Tour to Washington D.C. (2 students annually), a scholarship program (76 recipients in 2025 at $500 each), and community blood drives in partnership with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and Blood Center of Nacogdoches.

The cooperative's business model is usage-based retail electricity distribution within an exclusive regulated franchise territory. Revenue is generated from monthly electricity sales covering operating costs, debt covenants, and capital improvements; ancillary revenue comes from one-time service connection fees (membership $10, connect fee $35, deposits $60-$200), construction charges for new service, and capital credit retirement. In 2024, $1,279,016 in capital credits was returned to members, bringing lifetime returns to over $21 million. As a not-for-profit cooperative, DETEC pays no federal income tax but does pay property, county, and school taxes, and is governed by a board of directors elected from six member districts.

Name

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://deepeast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DETEC is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative distributing power to approximately 40,000 meters across eight rural East Texas counties through 7,000 miles of distribution infrastructure since 1938.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

DER Program Operations & Customer/Installer Enablement (Applications, Portals, Inspections) (EUADALAO)

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Electric cooperative services
• Member-owned utility
• Outage management services
• Capital credits program

Headquarters

HQ city

San Augustine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution: As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, DETEC generates revenue through electricity distribution to approximately 40,000 meters. Revenue covers operating costs, debt covenants, and capital improvements. Excess revenue is returned to members as capital credits based on individual electricity consumption.
2. Service Connection Fees: Fees charged for new service connections including membership fees ($10), connect fees ($35), and construction costs for new service installations. Deposits are collected based on service type (residence $200, secondary services $60).
3. Capital Credits: As a not-for-profit cooperative, when revenue exceeds operating costs and debt obligations, the Board of Directors may authorize retirement of capital credits. These are allocated proportionally based on electricity purchased and returned to members over time. In 2024, $1,279,016 was returned to members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative (DETEC) is a non-profit, member-owned electric transmission and distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to approximately 40,000 meters across eight East Texas counties via 7,000 miles of distribution lines. Members purchase service at cost, and any excess revenue is returned to members as capital credits proportional to electricity consumed.

Product overview

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative (DETEC) is a transmission and distribution electric cooperative serving approximately 40,000 meters across eight East Texas counties. The cooperative offers a unified suite of member services built around its core electricity provision business. The primary digital products include the Online Member Portal (billing.deepeast.com) for account management and bill payment, and the DETECmobile native mobile app for iOS and Android devices. These platforms enable outage reporting, payment processing via credit/debit cards or electronic check, Auto Pay setup, and usage monitoring. The cooperative complements its utility services with member benefit programs including the Capital Credits program, Co-op Connections savings program, and community-focused offerings such as ETREYS Summer Camp, the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, and scholarship programs. Safety resources include an interactive electrical safety checklist and the Storm & Safety Center. The cooperative operates as part of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Service Core electric distribution service delivering electricity to residential and small commercial members across eight East Texas counties, billed on a usage-based model with no profit margin as a non-profit cooperative.
• DETECmobile App Native mobile application for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices enabling members to view bills, make payments, manage account alerts, receive push notifications, and report outages.
• Online Member Portal Web-based customer portal allowing members to view account status, make payments, set up Auto Pay, view billing and payment history, manage contact information, and access usage data.
• Outage Reporting and Management Service 24/7 outage reporting and tracking service available via phone, mobile app, and online portal with real-time account status and an interactive outage map viewer.
• Co-op Connections Savings Program Member discount program providing savings on products and services at local and national businesses through a physical card or key fob, covering automotive, retail, health, dental, vision, prescriptions, and travel purchases.
• Capital Credits Program Cooperative patronage program that returns excess revenue to members based on their electricity purchases, allocated proportionally and retired over time by Board authorization.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,279,016 returned to members in capital credits in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTouchstone Energy is a national network of electric cooperatives providing brand identity, resources, and partnership opportunities. DETEC operates under the Touchstone Energy brand while maintaining local cooperative autonomy. The network includes over 700 local systems serving 30.5 million member-owners. Benefits include the Co-op Connections savings program with 25,000+ deals.
• Gulf Coast Regional Blood CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDETEC hosts blood drives in partnership with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, supporting community health initiatives. Blood donations help save lives including patients undergoing cancer treatment, premature babies, and individuals with anemia.
• Blood Center of NacogdochesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Blood Center of Nacogdoches for community blood drives serving Deep East Texas healthcare needs.
• Texas811coreTechnology or IntegrationTexas811 is the 811 notification system for underground utility line location. DETEC participates as a member utility receiving excavation notices and sending professional locators to mark underground lines when members call 811 before digging projects.
• Electric Co-op Mutual Aid NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectric cooperatives across multiple states coordinate mutual aid for outage restoration during severe weather events. During Winter Storm Fern (2026), mutual aid crews from unaffected states were deployed to assist DETEC and other cooperatives dealing with widespread outages. NRECA coordinates these efforts nationally.
• Texas-Louisiana CooperativecoreTechnology or IntegrationDETEC purchases electricity from Texas-Louisiana Cooperative (through Texas Power and Light Company and Southwestern Electric Power Company) for distribution to members. Historical partnership dating to original energization on December 16, 1938.
• East Texas Rural Electric Youth Seminar (ETREYS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDETEC joins eight other East Texas cooperatives as co-sponsor of the East Texas Rural Electric Youth Seminar (ETREYS), established in 1988. The program provides leadership development for high school sophomores and juniors with thousands in college scholarship funds available.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cherokee County Electric Cooperative: Adjacent Texas electric cooperative and ETREYS co-sponsor serving Cherokee County; comparable rural distribution model, member-owned cooperative structure, and Touchstone Energy affiliation make it a directly comparable peer to DETEC.
• Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative: East Texas electric cooperative co-sponsoring ETREYS with DETEC; similar rural member-owned distribution model serving comparable territory in Deep East Texas with similar scale and infrastructure characteristics.
• Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative: ETREYS co-sponsoring cooperative operating in adjacent East Texas counties; same Touchstone Energy-aligned rural distribution model with overlapping customer demographics and infrastructure scale.
• Houston County Electric Cooperative: East Texas electric cooperative co-sponsoring ETREYS with DETEC; comparable member-owned rural distribution utility with similar scale, Touchstone Energy affiliation, and capital credit return mechanisms.
• Rusk County Electric Cooperative: East Texas electric cooperative co-sponsoring ETREYS; directly comparable in rural service model, customer base, infrastructure footprint, and governance structure to DETEC.
• Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative: East Texas electric cooperative and ETREYS co-sponsor; comparable rural distribution utility with member-owned cooperative economics, similar geographic scale, and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative: Texas's largest electric cooperative serving the Texas Hill Country; while significantly larger than DETEC, it shares the same member-owned rural distribution model, Touchstone Energy affiliation, and capital credit return structure, making it a relevant scaled benchmark.
• Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative: East Texas electric cooperative and ETREYS co-sponsor; comparable rural distribution utility with overlapping member demographics and similar infrastructure and operational scale to DETEC.
• Wood County Electric Cooperative: East Texas electric cooperative and ETREYS co-sponsor; same Touchstone Energy-affiliated rural distribution model with similar customer base composition and operating economics to DETEC.

Broad incumbents

• Oncor Electric Delivery: Investor-owned electric transmission and distribution utility serving much of Texas within ERCOT; comparable T&D infrastructure operations but operates at vastly larger scale under a regulated rate-base model rather than member-owned cooperative economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DeepEastTexasEC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deep-east-texas-electric-coop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative