Starkville Utilities
Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned public power and water utility founded in 1939, serving approximately 14,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Starkville, Mississippi, including Mississippi State University, with electricity, water, sewer, and sanitation services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1939
- HeadquartersStarkville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Starkville Utilities does
Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned and operated public power utility founded in 1939, providing electricity, water, sewer/wastewater, and sanitation services to approximately 14,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Starkville, Mississippi, including Mississippi State University. The utility operates as a regulated monopoly franchise within its service territory, sourcing wholesale electric power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under a longstanding partnership. Core products include electric distribution, water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and residential sanitation, with usage-based and subscription-based pricing models.
The utility's technology stack centers on fully deployed Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) — a smart-grid transition completed in July 2021 that replaced manual meter reading with real-time consumption data — and the SmartHub customer portal (launched July 2024) for online billing, usage tracking, and account management. Operational technologies include CCTV inspection of underground utility systems and cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation for minimally invasive sewer line replacement. Supporting programs include prepaid billing, paperless billing, free EnergyRight workshops, home energy audits, and the Green Power Switch renewable energy program offered through TVA.
Revenue is generated through usage-based rates for electric, water, and sewer services, supplemented by subscription-based sanitation fees. The business model is that of a cost-recovery municipal utility: revenues are reinvested into community infrastructure rather than distributed to shareholders, with rate adjustments (such as a recent 3.2% TVA-driven electric increase and modest water/sewer increases) supporting a $25+ million five-year capital improvement plan. Customer segments are horizontally distributed across residential, commercial, and industrial users, with education (Mississippi State University, Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District) and regional banking (Renasant Bank) as named anchor accounts. Distribution is exclusively direct via owned infrastructure spanning 190 miles of distribution lines and 1,300 fire hydrants.
Starkville Utilities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starkville Utilities
- Legal name
- Starkville Utilities
- Website
- https://starkvilleutilities.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1939
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned public power and water utility founded in 1939, serving approximately 14,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Starkville, Mississippi, including Mississippi State University, with electricity, water, sewer, and sanitation services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starkville Utilities industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Utilities (22)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities (EUADABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Meter Installation, Exchange & Field Services (EUADAFAF), Water Leak Detection & Smart Shutoff Valve Systems (HSAHAGAA)
Keywords
Where Starkville Utilities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Starkville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Starkville Utilities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Electric Service: Residential and commercial electricity distribution powered by TVA, with rates based on consumption levels
- Water Service: Water distribution and treatment services with base rates plus variable per-gallon charges
- Sewer/Wastewater Service: Wastewater collection and treatment with base rates plus variable charges for service capacity
- Sanitation Service: Residential sanitation collection services with separate rate structure
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Residential Electric Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Starkville Utilities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned public utility that distributes electricity, water, and wastewater/sewer services to approximately 14,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Starkville, Mississippi, including Mississippi State University. The utility also provides residential sanitation collection, outdoor lighting, EV fast-charging through ChargePoint stations, and customer account management via its SmartHub online portal and mobile app. Electricity is sourced wholesale from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and redistributed locally.
Product overview
Starkville Utilities provides a unified portfolio of essential utility services for residential and commercial customers in Starkville, Mississippi. The core offerings consist of Electric, Water, and Sewer/Wastewater services, which are managed through the SmartHub digital platform for online account management, bill payment, and usage monitoring. The company supplements these core services with customer-facing programs including the Beat the Heat and Warm In, Winter Out energy-saving initiatives, free EnergyRight workshops, prepaid billing options, paperless billing with monthly credits, home energy audits, Green Power Switch renewable energy program, and EV charging infrastructure. All services are delivered with a focus on reliability, affordability, and infrastructure modernization through initiatives like FutureNOW.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SmartHub: Online customer portal and mobile app for managing utility accounts, viewing bills, making payments, and monitoring usage.
- FutureNOW
- Renew Principle
- Beat the Heat
- Warm In, Winter Out
- EnergyRight
- Green Power Switch
Products and services
- Electric Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 99%+ annual reliability performance for the last five years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Starkville Utilities
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Starkville Utilities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Starkville Utilities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreTVA is the wholesale power supplier for Starkville Utilities' electric distribution system. The partnership includes EnergyRight programs for energy efficiency, Green Power Switch renewable energy options, EV charging infrastructure support, STEM grants for teachers, and COVID-19 community relief funding.
- Seven States Power CorporationcoreSeven States Power Corporation collaborated on EV charging infrastructure planning and installation, determining ideal charging locations based on traffic patterns and local amenities. Edward Kemp was appointed to their board of directors.
- American Public Power AssociationminorAPPA represents public power utilities nationwide; Starkville Utilities participates in Public Power Week celebrations and benefits from APPA advocacy and resources.
- Mississippi State University - Water Resources Research InstitutecoreMSU's Water Resources Research Institute helped develop rate comparisons and proposals for capital improvement planning, analyzing approximately $34 million in infrastructure investments.
- Mississippi Rural Water AssociationminorMsRWA supports rural water utilities with resources and best practices; shown in partner logos on website.
- Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School DistrictcorePartnership includes Academic Houses career program, Discovery Center STEM grants ($10,000 from TVA/Starkville Utilities), and energy efficiency initiatives in schools.
- Starkville Rotary Foundationminor$2,500 grant from TVA COVID Community Care Fund to support 'Starkville Cares' relief packages for at-risk populations.
- United Way of North Central Mississippiminor$7,500 grant from TVA COVID Community Care Fund to support Emergency Management Fund for mortgage, rental and utility assistance.
- DNA Underground, LLCminorGulfport, Mississippi-based excavating contractor awarded contract for Lampkin-Main downtown water system upgrade project.
- JBHM ArchitectureminorArchitecture firm engaged for preliminary design plans for consolidated operations center expansion.
- Worsham Brothers ConstructionminorConstruction company with bid of approximately $1.9 million for consolidated operations center expansion project.
- Starkville Habitat for HumanityminorEmployee volunteers participated in home-building project as part of Starkville Habitat for Humanity's Day of Caring community volunteer event.
- Starkville Parks & RecreationminorJoint initiatives include Arbor Day tree plantings and Earth Day celebrations; collaborated on city parks lighting audit with TVA.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Starkville Utilities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Corinth Gas & Water Department: Municipal gas, water, and wastewater utility in Corinth, MS. Comparable small Mississippi municipal utility with multi-service utility profile.
- Florence Utilities (City of Florence, AL): Municipal electric, water, and wastewater utility in Florence, Alabama, served by TVA. Comparable small-city municipal utility operating in the TVA wholesale power ecosystem.
- Cleveland Utilities: Municipal electric, water, and wastewater utility in Cleveland, TN, served by TVA. Closely comparable multi-utility municipal operator in the same TVA system with similar scale and service mix.
- Oxford Utilities (City of Oxford, MS): Municipal electric, water, and wastewater utility serving Oxford, Mississippi, also in the TVA region. Comparable university-town municipal utility with similar customer mix including Ole Miss.
- Tupelo Water & Light Department: Municipal electric and water utility serving Tupelo, MS, also in the TVA service region. Directly comparable as a small Mississippi municipal utility offering electric and water distribution with similar governance and customer profile.
- Athens Utilities (City of Athens, AL): Municipal electric, water, wastewater, and natural gas utility in Athens, Alabama, supplied wholesale power by TVA. Comparable size, geographic profile, and TVA partnership structure.
Others
- American Municipal Power (AMP): Joint action agency serving community-owned utilities like Starkville with power supply, generation, and advocacy services. Relevant as an ecosystem participant supporting similar municipal utilities.
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Wholesale power supplier and core strategic partner providing the electricity Starkville distributes, along with EnergyRight programs, EV infrastructure support, and community grants. Not a competitor but a key ecosystem dependency.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Starkville Utilities social profiles
Digital presenceStarkville Utilities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starkville Utilities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Starkville Utilities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starkville Utilities 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 Starkville Utilities
What does Starkville Utilities do?
Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned public utility that distributes electricity, water, and wastewater/sewer services to approximately 14,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Starkville, Mississippi, including Mississippi State University. The utility also provides residential sanitation collection, outdoor lighting, EV fast-charging through ChargePoint stations, and customer account management via its SmartHub online portal and mobile app. Electricity is sourced wholesale from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and redistributed locally.
Is Starkville Utilities a public or private company?
Starkville Utilities is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Starkville Utilities founded?
Starkville Utilities was founded in 1939. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Starkville Utilities based?
Starkville Utilities is headquartered in Starkville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Starkville Utilities make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Electric Service is the primary driver. The others are water Service, sewer/Wastewater Service and sanitation Service.
Who are Starkville Utilities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Corinth Gas & Water Department, Florence Utilities (City of Florence, AL), Cleveland Utilities, Oxford Utilities (City of Oxford, MS), Tupelo Water & Light Department and Athens Utilities (City of Athens, AL). Others are American Municipal Power (AMP) and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Does Starkville Utilities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starkville Utilities.
What industry is Starkville Utilities in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADABAD, Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities, with a secondary code of EUADAFAF, Meter Installation, Exchange & Field Services. Its NAICS code is 2211 and its SIC code is 4911.