Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative

What Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative does

Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative (ACEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Friendship, Wisconsin. Formed in 1987 through the merger of Adams-Marquette Electric Cooperative and Columbus Rural Electric Cooperative, and expanded in 1992 by the merger with Waushara County Electric Cooperative, ACEC distributes electricity purchased from Alliant Energy to approximately 39,829 member services across 12 central Wisconsin counties via 5,512 line miles, 33 distribution substations, and 42,050 poles. The cooperative is governed by a seven-member elected board under the USDA Rural Utilities Service framework and returns margins to members through a patronage capital program that has retired $88.4M through 2025.

ACEC's product and service portfolio centers on regulated electricity distribution, augmented by a digital member experience platform (SmartHub web/mobile portal), a 24/7 outage reporting system, and the SmartHub-integrated Energy Usage Calculator. Adjacent offerings include irrigation services with demand-based rate classes, agricultural and business loan programs (Economic Development, Revolving Loan, and Safety First Farm Rewiring) backed by USDA and WECA partnerships, the Focus on Energy efficiency rebate program, the chargEV cooperative EV-charging network, and the Operation Round-Up community charitable program that has directed over $1M in donations. The 2025 operating footprint reflects 655,505,482 kWh purchased and 623,601,344 kWh sold across residential/farm (19,679), non-residential seasonal (16,480), commercial (2,590), irrigation (984), industrial (64), and public street lighting (29) service classes.

Revenue is generated predominantly through usage-based electric power sales to residential, commercial, industrial, farm, and irrigation members, with average residential rates around $0.12/kWh and specialized irrigation rates combining demand and energy charges. The cooperative is funded through operating cash flow, member patronage capital, and federal USDA Rural Utilities Service financial assistance rather than external equity. The company employs approximately 75 full-time and 2 part-time staff across three Wisconsin offices (Friendship, Pardeeville, Wautoma).

Name

Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative

Website

https://acecwi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution cooperative serving approximately 39,829 members across 12 central Wisconsin counties, distributing power purchased from Alliant Energy via 5,512 line miles and 33 substations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Member-owned cooperative
• Electric utility service
• Agricultural irrigation power
• Energy efficiency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Friendship

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Power Sales: Sale of electricity to residential, commercial, industrial, farm, and irrigation members based on kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption. Rates include energy charges, demand charges for certain rate classes, and facility charges.
2. Loan Programs: Economic development loans, revolving loans, and farm rewiring loans provide financing to businesses and farmers in the service territory with favorable terms through USDA partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to more than 39,458 residential, commercial, industrial, farm, and irrigation members across 12 central Wisconsin counties. The cooperative bills members based on kilowatt-hour consumption using differentiated rate classes, and supports service delivery with the SmartHub member portal, outage reporting, and community-oriented programs including economic development loans and Operation Round-Up charitable giving.

Product overview

Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative operates as a member-owned electric utility serving central Wisconsin. The company's product portfolio centers on SmartHub, a web and mobile portal providing account management, bill payment, usage tracking, and outage reporting. Supporting services include energy efficiency programs (Focus on Energy), agricultural programs (irrigation services, farm rewiring loans), business development loans (Revolving Loan, Economic Development Loan), community outreach (Operation Round-Up, Patronage Capital), and EV charging infrastructure (chargEV partnership). The cooperative functions as a regulated utility purchasing power from Alliant Energy and distributing it to over 39,000 services across 12 counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Operation Round-Up: A community benefit program where members voluntarily round up their electric bills to support local charities, individuals, and families. Over 7,000 members participate and total donations exceed $1,000,000.
• SmartHub

Products and services

• SmartHub Member Portal and Mobile App Web and mobile self-service platform for cooperative members to manage electric accounts, view billing and payment history, track energy usage, report power outages, enroll in auto pay, receive notifications, and vote for the board of directors.
• Focus on Energy Program Statewide Wisconsin utilities program offering rebates, instant discounts, and incentives for energy efficiency improvements, including free energy-saving packs and an online marketplace accessible to ACEC members.
• Safety First Farm Rewiring Loan Loan and grant program providing financing up to $20,000 at prime minus 1.25% with up to five years to repay, paired with WECA grants up to $10,000, to help dairy farmers rewire farmsteads for safety.
• Revolving Loan Fund Business financing program providing loans up to $250,000 covering 75% of total project costs for new or expanding businesses in the cooperative's rural service area.
• Economic Development Loan USDA Rural Development-backed loan program providing funding up to $400,000 covering 50% of project costs for business facilities and community development projects that create or retain jobs, with every $20,000 tied to a permanent full-time position.
• Irrigation Services Agricultural electrical services for irrigation operators, including new service installation, service relocation, load management programs, and specialized rate classes (MC6A and MC6B) with peak and distribution demand charges.
• chargEV Network Access Membership in the cooperative chargEV electric vehicle charging network, providing ACEC members with access to EV charging infrastructure across the region.
• Energy Assistance Program Federal LIHEAP energy assistance program administered through county social services to help low-income member households meet home energy costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital Credits Retirements: $88.4 million returned to members through 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliant EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliant Energy is the power supplier for ACEC, providing electricity that is delivered through ACEC's distribution system to end consumers. Power is transmitted via transmission lines to ACEC distribution infrastructure for final delivery to homes and businesses.
• Focus on EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWisconsin utilities program offering rebates and incentives for energy efficiency improvements. ACEC partners with Focus on Energy to deliver savings programs to members including free energy-saving packs, instant discounts through online marketplace, and various residential and business incentives.
• chargEVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative electric vehicle charging network. ACEC is a member of chargEV, providing access to EV charging infrastructure and network for members with electric vehicles.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing economic development loan program financing. ACEC participates in USDA Rural Development Authority programs for rural economic growth and community development, providing loans up to $400,000 for businesses that create or retain jobs in rural areas.
• Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association of electric cooperatives. WECA provides grant funding for farm rewiring safety programs, offering 30% grants up to $10,000 for dairy farm electrical rewiring projects through the Safety First! program.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental conservation partnership for Karner Blue Butterfly protection. ACEC conducts four annual surveys for the DNR to monitor butterfly habitat (lupine areas) and maps locations to protect during breeding seasons.
• West Riverside Energy CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural gas-fired power plant investment providing cleaner electricity generation for ACEC members as part of Alliant Energy's energy portfolio.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Alliant Energy: Investor-owned utility that is ACEC's wholesale power supplier and partners with ACEC through the West Riverside Energy Center investment. Not a direct competitor (different ownership model, serves different territories) but the most economically interconnected peer for ACEC.
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National network and brand alliance of 750+ member-owned electric cooperatives. ACEC is a Touchstone Energy member; comparable as an industry association peer defining cooperative branding, marketing standards, and program access.
• Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA): Statewide trade association for Wisconsin's electric cooperatives, providing ACEC grant funding (e.g., Safety First! farm rewiring grants) and legislative/regulatory representation. Industry ecosystem peer rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Dairyland Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative serving 24 distribution cooperatives and 17 municipal utilities across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Comparable as a fellow Wisconsin-headquartered electric cooperative with member-owned structure, though Dairyland also owns generation vs. ACEC's wires-only model.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Large generation-and-transmission cooperative serving member distribution co-ops across nine states. Comparable as a fellow member-owned electric cooperative at significantly larger scale, illustrating the wholesale power-supply model ACEC depends on.

Direct peers

• Barron Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin rural electric distribution cooperative in northwestern Wisconsin. Comparable as a Touchstone Energy–affiliated, member-owned cooperative operating a similar wires-only distribution model with similar agricultural/residential customer mix.
• Vernon Electric Cooperative: Rural electric distribution cooperative serving southwestern Wisconsin. Direct comparable in business model (member-owned distribution co-op), regulatory regime (Wisconsin state), and customer mix (rural/agricultural), though smaller and geographically adjacent rather than overlapping.
• Clark Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin rural electric distribution cooperative serving Clark and surrounding counties. Operates under the same state and federal regulatory framework as ACEC, with the same Touchstone Energy affiliation and similar loan/efficiency programs for members.
• Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services: Wisconsin member-owned electric cooperative serving Pierce and Pepin counties. Comparable in scale, cooperative governance structure, and rural/wires-only distribution focus, though geographically in western Wisconsin.
• Oakdale Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin-based rural electric distribution cooperative serving Monroe and Juneau counties. Comparable in size, structure (member-owned), and service territory (rural central Wisconsin counties), making it one of ACEC's closest operational peers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acecwi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyZi4K14Ps_opY09fuoUBEQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACECWI
• Instagraminstagram.com/acecwi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/492325

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative