Big Sandy RECC

What Big Sandy RECC does

Big Sandy Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (Big Sandy RECC) is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Paintsville, Kentucky, established in 1940 to provide electric service to rural Eastern Kentucky communities that investor-owned utilities had declined to serve. The cooperative distributes electricity through approximately 1,100 miles of distribution line to roughly 13,000 member-accounts across eight counties (Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, and Morgan). Wholesale power is procured through East Ky Power under a cost-of-service structure, and retail rates are regulated and published by the Kentucky Public Service Commission across multiple tariff classes - residential (Farm and Home), Commercial and Small Power, Large Power, Industrial, and Yard Light.

Its product and technology stack centers on regulated electric distribution as the core revenue-generating service, with a SmartHub digital member portal and companion iOS/Android applications providing account access, bill payment, usage tracking with kWh and temperature overlays, outage reporting, and a Virtual Energy Assessment tool. Additional member-facing services include Outage Map (real-time outage viewer), Levelized Billing, PrePay, automatic bank draft, an automated IVR payment system, and PowerMap - an award-winning business site-selector application supporting economic development recruitment. Pole Attachment services for telecom attachers, a Lineman Training Program with KCTCS Workforce Solutions / BSCTCS, and a public charitable and community-engagement program round out the offering.

The revenue model is a regulated, rate-based utility model with recurring monthly charges combining fixed customer charges and volumetric energy (kWh) charges, plus demand charges (per kW) for commercial and industrial accounts. As a cooperative, net margins are either reinvested or allocated back to members as capital credits. Members are acquired through cooperative enrollment at two physical offices (Paintsville headquarters and Prestonsburg branch), online sign-up, and economic-development outreach targeting commercial and industrial prospects. The cooperative is affiliated with the Touchstone Energy national alliance and employs 40 people.

Name

Big Sandy RECC

Legal name

Big Sandy Rural Electric Cooperative

Website

https://bigsandyrecc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Sandy RECC is a member-owned rural electric cooperative founded in 1940 that distributes electricity through 1,100 miles of line to approximately 13,000 members across eight Eastern Kentucky counties, offering SmartHub digital account tools alongside regulated residential, commercial, and industrial electric service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric cooperative
• Electricity distribution
• Member-owned utility
• Outage management
• Smart grid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paintsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Electric Service (Farm and Home): Monthly customer charge plus energy charge per kWh consumed. Rates among lowest in Kentucky state. Member-owned cooperative structure returns margins to members as capital credits.
2. Commercial and Small Power Service: Monthly customer charge plus demand charge per kW and energy charge per kWh for commercial accounts
3. Large Power and Industrial Service: Higher customer charges with demand charges per kilowatt and differential energy rates for secondary and primary meter configurations
4. Yard Light Service: Monthly rental charges for security lighting including 175W, 100W MH, 400W (Regular/Flood), 250W MH (Regular/Flood) options
5. Capital Credits: Net margins returned to members as cash patronage refunds after reserves, government loans, and operating costs. Individual member capital credits represent ownership equity in the system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Big Sandy RECC distributes electricity to approximately 13,000 member-owners across eight Eastern Kentucky counties via roughly 1,100 miles of distribution lines. As a member-owned cooperative incorporated in 1940, it delivers residential, commercial, and industrial electric service at rates among the lowest in Kentucky, supported by the SmartHub digital platform for billing, account management, and outage reporting.

Product overview

Big Sandy RECC is a rural electric cooperative providing electricity distribution as its core product and service. The cooperative offers a unified portfolio combining electric distribution service with digital member engagement tools centered around the SmartHub platform, which includes web portal and mobile apps for account management, bill payment, and outage reporting. The product suite includes outage management with real-time mapping, budget billing options (Levelized Billing and PrePay), technical installation resources (Service Wire Diagrams), economic development tools (PowerMap), and workforce development programs (Lineman Training). These products work together through the SmartHub ecosystem to deliver comprehensive electricity service and member support across eight Kentucky counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core electric distribution service delivering power to approximately 13,000 residential, commercial, and industrial members across eight Eastern Kentucky counties through roughly 1,100 miles of distribution lines.
• SmartHub Member Portal and Mobile App Digital self-service platform available via web and iOS/Android applications that enables members to view and pay bills, monitor energy usage, manage account preferences, and report service issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,100 miles of distribution line serving 13,000 members across 8 counties
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Touchstone EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational alliance of electric cooperatives providing high standards of service and energy solutions to customers in 46 states. Big Sandy RECC is part of this affiliation, enabling Co-op Connections Card program for member discounts.
• East Ky PowercoreOthersPower supplier providing wholesale electricity. Environmental surcharge and fuel adjustment clause are passed-through charges from East Ky Power on member bills.
• BSCTCS (Big Sandy Career and Technical Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig Sandy RECC is a proud sponsor of BSCTCS and Workforce Solutions Lineman Training Program. Also awards lineman scholarships to training class participants.
• KCTCS Workforce SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in lineman training program delivery through Kentucky Community and Technical College System workforce development initiatives.
• Ronald McDonald House CharitiesminorOthersEmployees and members contributed $13,282 in donations through Wish List Drive supporting Ronald McDonald Houses in Lexington and Louisville. Part of competition among 17 Kentucky Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.
• Kentucky Public Service CommissioncoreOthersRegulatory authority establishing rates, rules, and tariffs for electric service in Kentucky. Tariffs cover Johnson, Floyd, Martin, Lawrence, Morgan, Magoffin, Knott, and Breathitt counties.
• Community Action PartnershipminorOthersAdministers Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LI-HEAP) for eligible members on fixed income. Includes Subsidy and Crisis components for home energy cost assistance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• East Kentucky Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative supplying wholesale power to Big Sandy RECC and other distribution cooperatives. Highly relevant ecosystem participant as the upstream supplier whose fuel and environmental costs pass through directly to Big Sandy's member bills.

Direct peers

• Shelby Energy Cooperative: Kentucky rural electric cooperative serving Shelby and surrounding counties. Directly comparable Touchstone Energy cooperative with similar AMI, prepay/levelized billing programs, and small commercial/industrial rate design.
• Salt River Electric Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky rural electric cooperative serving multiple counties. Direct peer operating under identical Touchstone Energy/Kentucky PSC framework with similar residential, commercial, and industrial rate schedules.
• Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky rural electric cooperative serving ~36,000 members across multiple central Kentucky counties. Directly comparable as a Touchstone Energy cooperative with similar SmartHub-based member services, PSC-regulated rates, and member-owned capital credit model.
• Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation: Kentucky-based rural electric cooperative serving members in western Kentucky. Directly comparable as a Touchstone Energy-affiliated electric distribution cooperative operating under Kentucky PSC oversight with similar member-owned structure.
• Meade County Rural Electric Cooperative: Kentucky rural electric cooperative serving Meade County and adjacent areas. Comparable in member count, single-county-plus footprint, member-owned cooperative structure, and Kentucky PSC tariff framework.
• South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky rural electric cooperative serving southern Kentucky counties. Comparable in member-owned structure, geographic concentration, SmartHub/AMI platform use, and reliance on East Ky Power wholesale supply.
• Inter-County Energy Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky rural electric cooperative with overlapping service territory in central Kentucky. Comparable member-owned cooperative with similar PSC regulation, SmartHub deployment, and demand/dwelling mix.
• Blue Grass Energy Cooperative Corporation: Kentucky rural electric cooperative serving central Kentucky. Direct peer with similar size, structure, and reliance on East Kentucky Power Cooperative for wholesale supply, sharing member engagement and AMI deployment patterns.

Broad incumbents

• Kentucky Utilities Company: Investor-owned utility serving the broader Kentucky service territory under PPL Corporation. Comparable in regulated electric distribution but operates at much larger scale with IOU economics rather than cooperative member-ownership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigsandyrecc1
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigsandy.recc

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 Big Sandy RECC