Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative

Name

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative

Website

https://lmre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving approximately 16,000 members across five northeast Ohio counties via 1,500 miles of distribution lines and 15 substations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Demand Response & Load Flexibility Services (EUAMAJAF), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

Keywords

• Electric distribution
• Rural electrification
• Cooperative utility
• Energy efficiency rebates
• Smart metering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Spencer

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. Electricity Distribution: Monthly electricity bills charged per kilowatt-hour consumption. Basic residential rate consists of Cooperative Service Charge and Purchased Power Charges. Cost-of-service study determines base costs annually. Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) passes through wholesale power cost fluctuations.
2. Membership Services: $20 refundable membership fee for service connection. $275 deposit held for two years plus 3% annual interest. Various service fees including $45 trip charges and $100 overtime charges.
3. Security Lighting: $10 per month rental charge for LED security lights installed on existing cooperative poles
4. Energy Efficiency Programs: Rebates for geothermal systems, heat pumps, water heaters, appliances, insulation, EV chargers. Programs like Cool Returns provide monthly credits for load control participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative distributes electricity to approximately 16,000 member-owners across five counties in northeast Ohio through approximately 1,500 miles of overhead and underground distribution lines and 15 substations. Operating as a not-for-profit cooperative, it provides electricity distribution along with energy efficiency rebate programs, smart-meter-based Time-of-Day pricing, demand-response load management via Cool Returns, EV charging through the CONNECTIONS program, and community programs such as scholarships, Youth Tour, and People Fund.

Product overview

Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative operates as a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative offering a comprehensive portfolio of energy products and services. The core offering is electricity distribution to approximately 16,000 consumers across five counties. Supporting this core service, the cooperative provides SmartHub as its primary digital platform for bill payment, account management, and energy monitoring. The product ecosystem includes time-of-day rate programs, budget billing, and AutoPay for payment flexibility. Energy efficiency offerings encompass rebates for geothermal systems, heat pumps, water heaters, appliances, insulation, and EV chargers, alongside the Cool Returns load management program. Renewable energy options include the OurSolar subscription program and the newly launched CONNECTIONS EV charging program. Community programs include capital credits, scholarships, youth tour, and the People Fund assistance program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartHub: Free online bill payment system that allows members to receive outage notifications and monitor energy usage.
• OurSolar
• CONNECTIONS

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Service Core electric distribution service delivering electricity to approximately 16,000 member-consumers across five northeast Ohio counties through approximately 1,500 miles of distribution lines and 15 substations. Members are billed monthly on a per-kilowatt-hour basis plus a Cooperative Service Charge, with wholesale power purchased from Buckeye Power representing approximately 60% of per-kWh charges.
• SmartHub Free online account management platform accessible via web and mobile app (iOS and Android) enabling LMRE members to view bills, make one-time and recurring payments, monitor energy usage, receive outage notifications, and set up AutoPay. New subscribers receive a $10 credit split as $5 for e-bill enrollment and $5 for AutoPay enrollment.
• CONNECTIONS EV Charging Program Member EV charging program offering Level 2 charging at discounted member rates through ChargePoint network infrastructure at the cooperative's Spencer headquarters. Member pricing is $0.152 per kWh compared to $0.48 per kWh public rate, with first-come, first-served access and a 30-minute grace period after charge completion.
• OurSolar Subscription Program that allows LMRE members to purchase subscriptions to solar panels as a renewable energy option, branded as OurSolar and accessed via oursolar.coop.
• Security Lighting Rental LED security light installation service on existing cooperative poles offered to members for a $10 per month rental charge. There is no installation charge on existing poles, and $150 per additional pole for delivery and setup.
• Cool Returns Load Management Air conditioning load control program that cycles central AC compressors during peak demand periods to reduce energy costs. LMRE installs a free switch and provides a $100 credit upon installation plus $6 monthly credits during summer months for participants.
• Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs Portfolio of rebates and incentives for ENERGY STAR appliances, qualified water heaters, geothermal and air source heat pumps, insulation and air sealing, and EV chargers. Specific offers include $800 for new geothermal with electric resistance auxiliary heat, $400 per condenser for heat pumps, $100 for ENERGY STAR refrigerators and freezers, $25 for ENERGY STAR clothes washers, up to $800 for insulation (50% of cost), up to $400 for air sealing, $250 for EV chargers (max two ports), and $125-$500 for water heaters plus $1.50 monthly credit for load control switch installation.
• Home Energy Assessment Member energy audit service including blower door test and visual inspection to identify energy-saving opportunities in member homes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital credits returned to members when margins exceed costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PCs for PeopleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025PCs for People, a national nonprofit focused on digital inclusion, partnered with LMRE for an e-recycling event. The organization offers free certified electronic recycling and refurbishes computers for low-income individuals. Any usable computers collected have data securely wiped using NAID AAA certified process.
• Buckeye PowercoreTechnology or IntegrationBuckeye Power is LMRE's wholesale power supplier, providing the electricity that LMRE distributes to its 16,000 members. The cost of wholesale power accounts for approximately 60% of the per-kilowatt-hour charges on member monthly bills. LMRE's power supply heavily relies on coal-fired generation, with over 80% of annual energy requirements from this source.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRECA is the national service organization representing the nation's more than 900 consumer-owned electric cooperatives. LMRE board members receive Director Gold and Board Leadership certifications through NRECA's Director Education Program. NRECA also organizes the annual Youth Tour program that LMRE participates in.
• Touchstone EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTouchstone Energy is a national network of cooperatives providing branding and marketing support. LMRE is a Touchstone Energy cooperative, allowing use of the cooperative brand and access to shared resources, safety materials, and cooperative messaging standards.
• Ohio's Electric CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio's Electric Cooperatives (OEC) is the state trade association providing leadership training, regulatory advocacy, and cooperative education programs. OEC hosts the Cooperative Leadership Edge program from which LMRE employees have graduated, and coordinates the Ohio Youth Tour program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National network and brand alliance of 750+ local electric cooperatives including LMRE. Provides shared marketing, branding, and operational resources, making it a key ecosystem participant rather than a competitive peer.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National service organization representing 900+ consumer-owned electric cooperatives including LMRE. Provides board training (Director Gold), Youth Tour coordination, and federal advocacy, making it the central ecosystem/industry association rather than a competitive peer.
• Buckeye Power: Wholesale electric generation and transmission cooperative (G&T) that supplies LMRE with approximately 100% of its wholesale power. While not a direct competitor, Buckeye Power is the most economically linked organization to LMRE given that ~60% of member bills pass through Buckeye's wholesale charges.

Direct peers

• North Central Electric Cooperative: Ohio-based rural electric distribution cooperative serving members across north-central Ohio with similar cooperative structure, Touchstone Energy affiliation, and member-owned governance. Directly comparable in scale, service model, and regulatory environment.
• Midwest Electric Cooperative: Ohio rural electric distribution cooperative serving roughly similar member counts in northwest Ohio with parallel cooperative governance, capital credits program, and Buckeye Power wholesale supply. Strong operational and structural comparability.
• Pioneer Electric Cooperative: Ohio-based rural electric distribution cooperative with comparable member-owned governance, similar 15-20 substation footprint, and parallel energy efficiency rebate program offerings. Direct structural and operational peer.
• Firelands Electric Cooperative: Ohio rural electric cooperative serving approximately the same size of member base in north-central Ohio with similar distribution-only model, cooperative governance, and Buckeye Power wholesale relationship. Highly comparable operations and customer profile.
• Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative: Ohio rural electric cooperative operating in adjacent counties with similar 1,500+ mile distribution footprint, member-owned structure, and equivalent NRECA/Touchstone Energy affiliations. Closely comparable cooperative utility peer in Ohio.

Broad incumbents

• American Electric Power (AEP Ohio): Investor-owned utility serving Ohio with overlapping electric distribution and transmission operations in parts of the same five-county service area. AEP's Ohio utility subsidiary is the principal IOU alternative LMRE members might be served by if not for the cooperative territory, making it the most relevant incumbent benchmark.
• FirstEnergy (Ohio Edison / Illuminating Company): Major investor-owned electric utility serving portions of northeast Ohio, including some areas bordering LMRE's territory. Comparable regulated distribution business at much larger scale, providing a benchmark for IOU service and rate competitiveness.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lmrecoop
• Facebookfacebook.com/LorainMedinaREC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lorain-medina-rural-electric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative