Electrical District 3

What Electrical District 3 does

Electrical District No. 3 (ED3) is a public power utility and political subdivision of the State of Arizona, formed in 1926 as a Special District under ARS § 48-1747. It distributes electricity across a certificated territory that includes the city of Maricopa, the town of Stanfield, and surrounding agricultural communities in Pinal County, serving approximately 36,000 meters across residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customer segments.

ED3's operating model is anchored by owned-and-operated distribution infrastructure (substations, power lines, smart metering) and a multi-channel customer engagement platform led by the SmartHub mobile app and web portal (provided by NISC). Its product stack includes Pre-Paid Metering, Fixed and Variable Payment Plans, Time-of-Use rates (including an EV-specific TOU), the Green Select renewable-energy program, Peak Rewards demand response, distributed-generation interconnection up to 20 MW, and an extensive rebate catalog covering residential HVAC, insulation, smart thermostats, EV chargers, induction cooking, and commercial LED/HVAC/forklift upgrades. Power is procured through a consortium of suppliers (Arizona Power Authority / Hoover Power, WAPA, and other energy marketers), with rates set by the elected Board pursuant to ARS § 48-1747 and adjusted via the Purchased Power Cost Adjustor (PPCA).

Revenue mechanics are usage-based with a $20/month basic service charge, monthly billing across multiple TOU seasonal tiers, and one-time service establishment fees. Recent capital actions — $16.9M of substation equipment orders, the Apache Solar II 100 MW renewable resource reaching commercial operation, an enterprise software platform upgrade, and an S&P credit upgrade from A+ to AA- — point to capacity expansion and balance-sheet strengthening. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by an elected board; it holds a national 100-year service award and APPA Safety Award of Excellence.

Name

Electrical District 3

Legal name

Electrical District No. 3

Website

https://ed3online.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Electrical District No. 3 is an Arizona public power utility and political subdivision, distributing electricity to about 36,000 residential, commercial, and agricultural meters across Maricopa, Stanfield, and surrounding Pinal County communities since 1926.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Maricopa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Electrical District No. 3 (ED3) is a public power utility that distributes electricity to approximately 36,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural meters across Maricopa, Stanfield, and surrounding communities in Pinal County, Arizona. It offers multiple rate programs (Time of Use, Pre-Paid Metering, Fixed and Variable Payment Plans), customer self-service via the SmartHub portal and mobile app, residential and commercial energy efficiency rebate programs, distributed generation (solar) interconnection, and demand response programs. Power is procured through the Arizona Power Authority (Hoover Power), Western Area Power Authority (WAPA), and other energy marketing firms.

Product overview

Electrical District No. 3 (ED3) is a public power utility cooperative serving Maricopa, Stanfield, and surrounding agricultural communities in Arizona since 1926. The company offers a unified suite of electricity services centered around its SmartHub customer portal and various billing/payment programs. Core offerings include Pre-Paid Metering, Fixed and Variable Payment Plans, Time of Use rate programs (including an EV-specific TOU option), Green Select renewable energy support, and Peak Rewards demand response. ED3 also provides substantial residential and commercial rebate programs for energy-efficient upgrades (HVAC, EV chargers, insulation, smart thermostats, solar), a customer-owned distributed generation interconnection program for solar, home energy audits, commercial energy assessment grants, new construction services, and streetlight repair. The product portfolio functions as an integrated utility service ecosystem where the SmartHub portal serves as the central hub for account management, bill payment, and usage monitoring across all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartHub: Customer portal and mobile app for account management, bill pay, and usage monitoring.
• Green Select
• Peak Rewards
• Pre-Paid Metering Program

Products and services

• SmartHub Customer Portal and Mobile App Customer self-service portal and mobile application for ED3 residential and commercial account holders, providing account management, bill payment, usage monitoring, outage alerts, and service requests with no credit/debit processing fees.
• Pre-Paid Metering Program (PPM) Prepaid electricity payment program for ED3 customers that allows self-managed electricity purchases with daily text or email balance notifications, no deposits, no late fees, and no due dates; includes a $20 minimum payment option and SmartHub top-up capability.
• Fixed Payment Plan Budget payment program that calculates a fixed average monthly bill from a 12-month history and reconciles via quarterly reviews and a bucket credit system, helping customers smooth seasonal usage swings.
• Variable Payment Plan Budget payment program using a 12-month history to calculate an average monthly bill that is recomputed monthly based on the customer's recent usage, allowing closer alignment with actual consumption than a fixed plan.
• Time of Use (TOU 2-9) Rate Program Standard time-of-use rate program for ED3 customers with on-peak hours from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, off-peak at all other times and weekends, structured across three seasonal blocks (Summer, Super Summer, Winter).
• Time of Use Non DG with EV (EV TOU 2-10) Special residential time-of-use rate program for customers with electric vehicles, with peak hours 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and super off-peak hours midnight to 5:00 a.m. to incentivize overnight EV charging.
• Green Select Program Opt-in program that allows ED3 customers to support renewable energy sources as part of their electricity service.
• Peak Rewards Demand response program for ED3 residential customers that provides incentives for reducing electricity consumption during designated peak periods.
• Residential Rebates Program Rebate program for ED3 residential customers covering energy-efficient upgrades including HVAC installation, EV chargers (including on-bill financing), home insulation, smart thermostats, Energy Star variable-speed pool pumps, solar shade screens, electric hot water heater timers, heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops, shade trees, air duct repair, and Energy Star electric washer/dryer.
• Non-Residential Rebates Program Rebate program for ED3 commercial customers covering LED replacements and exit signs, HVAC upgrades, EV Level 2 chargers, smart thermostats, insulation, and Class 1, 2, and 3 electric forklifts with high-frequency battery chargers.
• Distributed Generation (Solar/DER) Interconnection Program Program enabling ED3 customers to interconnect customer-owned distributed generation systems, primarily rooftop solar and other DERs, with capacity tiers up to 20 MW and net metering under Rider No. 8.
• Home Energy Audit Energy assessment service for ED3 residential customers that identifies opportunities to reduce household energy consumption.
• Commercial Energy Assessment Grant Grant-funded energy assessment service for ED3 commercial customers to evaluate energy efficiency opportunities.
• New Construction Electrical Service Service for connecting new residential, commercial, industrial, or agricultural construction projects to the ED3 distribution system.
• Streetlight Repair Service Maintenance and repair service for streetlights in ED3's service area, accepting outage reports via an online form.
• Residential and Commercial Electricity Distribution Service Core electricity distribution service across approximately 36,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural meters in ED3's Pinal County service territory, billed under usage-based TOU, pre-paid, or standard schedules approved by ED3's Board of Directors, with a $20.00 monthly basic service charge and PPCA adjustments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 MW of new renewable energy resources achieved through Apache Solar II project
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Salt River Project (SRP): Arizona's largest public power utility, serving the Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding communities. SRP is a directly comparable public power peer with similar TOU rate structures, EV programs, and agricultural customer exposure, though at materially larger scale.
• Cobb EMC: Georgia-based electric membership cooperative serving a mix of residential and commercial customers. Cobb EMC offers comparable AMI, prepaid metering, and TOU programs to ED3, making it a useful operational peer despite its different geography.
• Imperial Irrigation District (IID): California public power utility with a significant agricultural customer base, similar to ED3's exposure in Pinal County. IID faces comparable water and irrigation-load dynamics and operates a comparable mix of residential, commercial, and agricultural rate programs.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): Large California public power utility with a similarly broad portfolio of TOU rates, EV-specific programs, DG interconnections, and green-pricing options. SMUD is a strong functional peer for ED3's program architecture, though it operates at much greater scale.
• Lafayette Utilities System: Municipal electric utility in Louisiana serving a comparable mix of residential and small commercial customers. LUS operates with a similarly diversified rate portfolio and small workforce, providing a structural peer for a community-owned public power model.
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC): One of the largest electric cooperatives in the U.S., serving central Texas with a residential and rural customer mix analogous to ED3's. PEC offers comparable TOU, prepaid, and DG programs and represents a structural peer as a member-owned distribution utility.
• Navopache Electric Cooperative: Arizona-based electric cooperative serving rural communities in the White Mountains region. Shares ED3's Arizona regulatory environment and rural/agricultural customer profile, making it a close regional peer despite serving a different part of the state.
• Trico Electric Cooperative: Arizona electric cooperative serving parts of Pinal, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties — directly overlapping ED3's geographic footprint. Trico is a natural geographic peer with a similar residential and agricultural customer mix operating under the same Arizona regulatory framework.

Broad incumbents

• Tucson Electric Power (TEP): Investor-owned electric utility serving southern Arizona. TEP is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping rate-design and renewable program structures, operating in the same regulatory and climate environment as ED3.
• Arizona Public Service (APS): Investor-owned electric utility serving much of Arizona, including parts of Pinal County adjacent to ED3. APS competes for end customers in overlapping Arizona geographies and offers a comparable suite of TOU, EV, and solar interconnection programs at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/electricaldist3
• Facebookfacebook.com/electricaldistrict3
• Instagraminstagram.com/electricaldistrict3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/electrical-district-number-3

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Electrical District 3