Community Electric Cooperative

What Community Electric Cooperative does

Community Electric Cooperative (CEC) is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1938 and headquartered in Windsor, Virginia. The cooperative distributes electricity across approximately 1,672 miles of power lines to residential and commercial member-owners in Southampton County, Isle of Wight County, and parts of Surry County. As of 2023, CEC sold 194,273,098 kWh and maintained a 99.96% system reliability rate, with an Average Service Availability Index of 0.9721. The cooperative employs 41 people and operates within a territorial franchise that functions as a regulated natural monopoly.

CEC's core digital product surface centers on the SmartHub member portal and mobile application (iOS and Android), which provide bill payment, account management, outage reporting, and usage monitoring. A cloud-based outage map provides real-time service status across the distribution territory. The RECORE subsidiary offers standby power generators, automatic transfer switches, and surge protection products with a 10% member discount. Additional products and services include energy efficiency programs (Beat the Peak, Energy Calculators, Smart Thermostat rebates, weatherization assistance), protection services (surge protection, vegetation management), outdoor lighting, and the 2025-launched Electric Cooperative Marketplace for energy-efficient products. Member-care programs include Levelized Billing, Second Party Notification, and a Serious Medical Condition priority service.

CEC operates on a subscription-based revenue model, charging member-owners monthly electricity distribution rates not publicly disclosed and accessed through SmartHub. As a cooperative, any excess revenue is allocated to members as capital credits; the cooperative has returned over $20.25 million in capital credits since 1959, with refunds now delivered as paperless bill credits. Power supply is sourced through Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The cooperative is affiliated with the Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), and participates in mutual aid arrangements with peer cooperatives. The first rate schedule change since 2012 was implemented in fall 2025 under Virginia case PUR-2025-00131.

Name

Community Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Community Electric Cooperative

Website

https://comelec.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1938, serving residential and commercial member-owners across Southampton, Isle of Wight, and parts of Surry County in Virginia through 1,672 miles of power lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Member-owned cooperative
• Power distribution utility
• Standby power solutions
• Energy efficiency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor, Virginia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution Services: Community Electric Cooperative generates revenue through electricity distribution fees charged to member-owners. As a cooperative, any excess revenue (margins) is allocated back to members as capital credits, which are periodically retired and returned to members. The cooperative also generates revenue through its subsidiary RECORE for standby generators and energy solutions, and through various energy efficiency programs and marketplace products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution utility that delivers electricity to residential and commercial member-owners across Southampton County, Isle of Wight County, and parts of Surry County in Virginia. The cooperative operates 1,672 miles of power lines serving a rural Virginia service territory, sources wholesale power through Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), and returns surplus revenue to members through capital credits. It also offers standby power solutions through its RECORE subsidiary.

Product overview

Community Electric Cooperative operates as a member-owned electric utility providing electricity distribution services across Virginia. The cooperative's digital product portfolio centers on SmartHub for bill payment and account management, complemented by the RECORE subsidiary offering standby power generators and energy solutions. Additional products include energy conservation tools (Beat the Peak, Energy Calculators, Smart Thermostat Program), protection services (Surge Protection, Vegetation Management), and the Electric Cooperative Marketplace for purchasing energy-efficient products. The cooperative also runs youth development programs (Day in the Life of a Lineman, Youth Tour, VICE) and publishes Cooperative Living Magazine. Capital Credits represents the member ownership benefit returning surplus revenue. Service management tools include an Outage Map, Start/Stop Service, and specialized programs for members with serious medical conditions or second-party notification needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RECORE: Energy solutions subsidiary offering standby power generators, emergency transfer switches, and backup power systems with installation services for residential and commercial properties.

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.96% reliability rate maintained for power delivery
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Charter CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2023CEC met with Charter Communications and local jurisdictions to discuss deployment of broadband network infrastructure to bring high-quality internet service to CEC's member-owners in rural Virginia areas.
• Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerODEC is a generation and transmission cooperative that provides power supply to Community Electric Cooperative and other member cooperatives. CEC receives its electricity supply through ODEC, which operates power plants including Clover Power Station and Wildcat Point. ODEC also coordinates demand response programs and explores new energy technologies including battery backup and small modular reactors.
• RECORE Energy SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRECORE is a subsidiary of Community Electric Cooperative that provides standby generator systems, surge protection, and energy solutions to CEC members. Member-owners receive 10% discounts on backup power generators through RECORE. The subsidiary also offers services including generator installation, transfer switches, and emergency power solutions.
• Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVMDAEC is an association of electric cooperatives that provides training, safety programs, scholarships through the Education Scholarship Foundation, and coordinates mutual aid among member cooperatives. CEC participates in the Gaff-n-Go Lineman Rodeo through VMDAEC and receives continuing education programs for board members.
• Prince George Electric Cooperative (PGEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEC and PGEC partner on community service initiatives including Roc Solid Foundation support for families fighting pediatric cancer, and joint charitable drives such as Meals on Wheels donations and breast cancer awareness campaigns.
• Appalachian Electric Membership Corporation (ANEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEC provided mutual aid assistance to ANEC following Winter Storm Fern, with line crews deploying to help restore power on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The cooperatives coordinate assistance during major storm events through the 'cooperation among cooperatives' principle.
• Meals on Wheels of Suffolk and Isle of WightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEC partnered with Meals on Wheels for charitable drives, collecting nearly 13,000 items and $2,000 to support local seniors in need over a four-month period.
• Roc Solid FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEC and PGEC partner with the Chesapeake-based nonprofit to provide emotional and material support to families whose children are afflicted with cancer, including Ready Bag Packing Parties and donations.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association representing electric cooperatives across the United States. Coordinates the Youth Tour program, Youth Leadership Council, and provides education and training resources for member cooperatives including board leadership certificates.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Appalachian Electric Membership Corporation (ANEC): Virginia-based electric cooperative recently receiving CEC mutual aid. Directly comparable rural member-owned distribution utility operating in adjacent Eastern Virginia territory with similar scale and operational profile.
• Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC): Generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative supplying wholesale power to CEC and other member co-ops. Highly comparable as part of the same rural electric cooperative ecosystem, with overlapping board structure, mutual aid culture, and shared focus on demand response and emerging generation tech.
• Southside Electric Cooperative: Virginia-based member-owned electric distribution cooperative. Highly comparable business model, service to rural Virginia residential/commercial members, and engagement with VMDAEC mutual aid network.
• Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC): Larger Virginia-based electric distribution cooperative. Same member-owned cooperative structure with comparable rural/suburban service territory, though operates at greater scale and more diverse territory mix.
• Rappahannock Electric Cooperative: Virginia's largest electric distribution cooperative. Comparable cooperative structure serving rural and suburban Virginia with similar member-owner capitalization credit model and reliance on ODEC for wholesale power.
• A&N Electric Cooperative: Virginia-based electric distribution cooperative serving the Eastern Shore. Closely comparable member-owned distribution cooperative model with similar scale, isolated service territory, and VMDAEC affiliation.
• Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative: Virginia-based electric distribution cooperative serving rural southern Virginia. Directly comparable cooperative structure, territory profile, and reliance on ODEC for wholesale generation supply.
• Central Virginia Electric Cooperative: Virginia-based electric distribution cooperative serving similar rural member-owners across multiple counties. Directly comparable in business model, scale, and operating practices within the cooperative ecosystem.
• Prince George Electric Cooperative (PGEC): A neighboring Virginia-based electric distribution cooperative. Directly comparable in business model (member-owned electric cooperative), customer base (rural Virginia residential and commercial members), G&T partner, and operating scale. CEC and PGEC already partner on shared community initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• Dominion Energy Virginia: Investor-owned utility and the dominant electric distribution provider across most of Virginia. Indirect competitor across the broader Virginia electricity market — operates under a different ownership model but the same regulatory framework and serves overlapping member geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/events/425125590452901
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comelec-coop

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Community Electric Cooperative