Barton County
Barton County Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric utility in Lamar, Missouri, distributing electricity to 6,916 members across 1,893.5 miles of power line and offering online billing, net metering, energy-efficiency rebates, and safety programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersHobe Sound, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Barton County does
Barton County Electric Cooperative (BCEC) is a member-owned rural electric distribution utility headquartered at 91 West US Highway 160, Lamar, Missouri. Founded in 1937 and operating continuously for 89 years, the cooperative distributes electricity across 1,893.5 miles of power line to 6,916 member households and businesses in Barton County, Missouri, organized as a patronage-capital cooperative under democratic member governance with annually elected boards.
BCEC's core offering is electricity distribution via owned distribution infrastructure (lines, meters, transformers, and associated equipment). Layered on this core, the cooperative operates an online member portal (SmartHub) for billing, account management, start/stop service, and outage reporting. Adjacent service lines include member-owned solar interconnection with net metering (including a $250 one-time meter fee and a PURPA qualifying-facility pathway for systems above 100 KW through partner AECI), energy-efficiency rebates, electric-vehicle resources, security lighting, free generator transfer-switch installation, safety demonstrations, the 811 Call-Before-You-Dig integration via Missouri One Call System, and a Youth Tour leadership program. There is no multi-product platform architecture: all offerings are components of the single electricity-distribution franchise within an exclusive, federally recognized rural-electric service territory.
BCEC's revenue model is subscription-recurring monthly electricity service to members, supplemented by modest one-time fees (e.g., the $250 solar meter fee) and ancillary charges for security lighting and other add-on services. As a cooperative, any margins are allocated back to members as patronage capital credits, which are periodically retired. The 28-person staff, absence of disclosed funding, member-ownership structure, and 89-year operating history characterize BCEC as a stable, mature distribution utility with incremental service-modernization rather than expansion-driven growth.
Barton County firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Barton County
- Legal name
- Barton County Electric Cooperative
- Website
- https://bartonelectric.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Barton County Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric utility in Lamar, Missouri, distributing electricity to 6,916 members across 1,893.5 miles of power line and offering online billing, net metering, energy-efficiency rebates, and safety programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Barton County industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rural Electric Utility 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)
Keywords
Where Barton County is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hobe Sound
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Barton County business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Electricity Distribution Services: The cooperative generates revenue through electricity distribution to its 6,916 member-customers. As a cooperative, any margins (revenues exceeding expenses) are allocated back to members as patronage capital credits, which are periodically retired and distributed to members.
- Solar Metering and Inspection Fees: One-time fee of $250 for solar production meter installation for members installing distributed generation systems. Additional fees for systems over 100 KW AC including application fees and metering fees based on complexity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard electricity service rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Barton County product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Barton County Electric Cooperative distributes electricity to 6,916 member households and businesses across rural Barton County, Missouri, through 1,893.5 miles of owned power line. The core offering is monthly metered electric service with patronage capital credit allocation, supplemented by member-facing programs for billing/account management, distributed solar net metering, energy efficiency rebates, security lighting, outage reporting, and safety demonstrations.
Product overview
Barton County Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric utility cooperative providing electricity distribution services to approximately 6,916 members across its service territory. The cooperative operates a single unified service offering focused on electricity distribution, with supporting services organized into member-facing functions: billing and account management (online account access, payment options, demand understanding, patronage capital), member services (start/stop service, new services and upgrades, security lighting, outage center), energy efficiency programs (solar/net metering, rebates, electric vehicle charging, general energy savings), and safety services (safety demonstrations, right-of-way maintenance, 811 underground utility locate services, generator safety guidance). The cooperative also conducts annual member meetings and youth leadership programs. There is no multi-product platform architecture — all offerings are components of the single electricity distribution service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electricity Distribution Service
- Solar and Net Metering Program
Companies that use Barton County
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Barton County technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Barton County partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI)coreAssociated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) purchases excess energy supplied to the grid from members with systems larger than 100 KW AC that become qualifying facilities under PURPA. Members can become qualified facilities through AECI when net metering capacity is reached.
- Missouri One Call SystemcoreMissouri One Call System routes calls from the 811 service to affected utility companies in Missouri for underground line marking before digging projects.
- Rural Missouri MagazineminorPartnership with Rural Missouri magazine for member communications and news content delivery.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Barton County competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC / CoBank): Specialty finance cooperative that lends to U.S. rural electric cooperatives, including many Missouri distribution coops. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, and a relevant proxy for capital access, debt terms, and cooperative-sector financial benchmarks.
- Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National branding and services alliance for electric cooperatives including Barton County (visible co-branding on the cooperative's site). Not a direct competitor but a peer ecosystem participant that shapes marketing, member communications, and shared services across U.S. rural electric cooperatives.
Direct peers
- Boone Electric Cooperative: Member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving central Missouri. Directly comparable in cooperative structure, SmartHub-style member portal, net metering, and energy-efficiency programming for rural residential and small commercial members.
- Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative: Member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving parts of the Kansas City Northland area in Missouri. Directly comparable as a fellow Touchstone-Energy-branded distribution cooperative offering the same member-facing billing, outage, and energy-efficiency services in an adjacent Missouri market.
- SEMO Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative headquartered in southeastern Missouri serving rural members across multiple counties. Directly comparable in scale, cooperative governance, and product offering (residential/commercial distribution, solar net metering, EV programs).
- Ozark Electric Cooperative: Member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving southwestern Missouri. Closely comparable to Barton County in cooperative governance, rural service profile, and member-facing products such as net metering and EV resources.
- Sac Osage Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative serving rural members in west-central Missouri near Barton County. Comparable in scale, geographic setting, and service mix including member-owned solar interconnections and demand-side programs.
- Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI): Missouri's generation-and-transmission cooperative that supplies wholesale power to distribution coops including Barton County. Directly comparable as a cooperative counterparty in the same Missouri rural-electric value chain, with PURPA-qualifying facility off-take arrangements already in place between the two.
- Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative: Missouri generation-and-transmission cooperative that pools power supply for distribution coops in the region. Comparable as a co-op counterparty in the Missouri rural-electric supply chain, with overlapping member base and shared regulatory and operational frameworks.
Regional players
- White River Valley Electric Cooperative: Distribution electric cooperative serving members in southwest Missouri and adjacent Arkansas. Comparable in cooperative structure, rural distribution profile, and renewable/EV program offerings; relevant regional benchmark for member density and infrastructure scale.
Market position
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Barton County social profiles
Digital presenceBarton County financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Barton County leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Barton County funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Barton County M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Barton County
What does Barton County do?
Barton County Electric Cooperative distributes electricity to 6,916 member households and businesses across rural Barton County, Missouri, through 1,893.5 miles of owned power line. The core offering is monthly metered electric service with patronage capital credit allocation, supplemented by member-facing programs for billing/account management, distributed solar net metering, energy efficiency rebates, security lighting, outage reporting, and safety demonstrations.
Is Barton County a public or private company?
Barton County is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Barton County founded?
Barton County was founded in 1937. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Barton County based?
Barton County is headquartered in Hobe Sound, United States, in the North America region.
How does Barton County make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Electricity Distribution Services are the primary driver. The others are solar Metering and Inspection Fees.
Who are Barton County's main competitors?
Others on record are National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC / CoBank) and Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Direct peers are Boone Electric Cooperative, Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, SEMO Electric Cooperative, Ozark Electric Cooperative, Sac Osage Electric Cooperative, Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) and Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative. White River Valley Electric Cooperative is listed as a regional player.
Does Barton County have an API?
No public API is recorded for Barton County.
What industry is Barton County in?
Barton County's product category is Rural Electric Utility Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADABAC, Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities). Its NAICS code is 221122 and its SIC code is 4911.