Darke Rural Electric Cooperative
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving more than 5,000 homes, farms, and businesses across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio, delivering at-cost electricity through its own poles, wires, and AMI infrastructure since 1936.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersGreenville, Ohio, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Darke Rural Electric Cooperative does
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative (REC), Inc. is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative incorporated in Ohio and headquartered in Greenville. Founded in 1936 as part of the rural electrification movement, the cooperative serves more than 5,000 members across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio, delivering electricity at cost under an exclusive service territory granted by the state. The cooperative is governed by a board of trustees elected by its member-owners and operates under the seven cooperative principles.
The cooperative's core product is electricity distribution through a capital-intensive infrastructure network of poles, wires, transformers, substations, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) that enables remote meter reading for all members. Layered on top of the physical distribution system are member-facing digital tools including the SmartHub web portal and mobile app (bill payment, usage monitoring, outage reporting, paperless billing, Auto Pay), a real-time Outage Map viewer, the Apogee-powered Home Energy Calculator, and an ongoing digital system mapping initiative to catalog every pole and piece of equipment. Supporting programs include the Budget Billing Program, rebates for geothermal, heat pumps, electric water heaters, and EV chargers, free home energy audits, Operation Round-Up charitable giving, Youth Tour leadership scholarships, and the Kitchel Community Room facility.
Darke REC's business model is at-cost electricity distribution: revenue comes from monthly electricity sales to members, with any surplus above operating costs reinvested in infrastructure, returned to members as capital credits, or used to maintain rate stability. Power supply is sourced through Buckeye Power, the generation and transmission cooperative owned by Ohio's distribution co-ops since 1959, which insulates members from wholesale market volatility. The cooperative reaches members through its local office, SmartHub digital platform, phone support, social media, quarterly newsletters, Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, county fairs, school safety programs, and community events. Distribution is exclusively direct within the designated service territory, with no competitive alternative provider available to members.
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Darke Rural Electric Cooperative
- Legal name
- Darke Rural Electric Cooperative (REC), Inc.
- Website
- https://darkerec.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving more than 5,000 homes, farms, and businesses across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio, delivering at-cost electricity through its own poles, wires, and AMI infrastructure since 1936.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rural Electric Distribution Utility
- NAICS
- Electric Power Distribution (221122)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Interconnection, Permitting & Grid Services for DERs (EUAMAJAH)
Keywords
Where Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenville, Ohio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Electricity Distribution Sales: As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, Darke REC generates revenue through electricity sales to its members. Revenue above the cost of operations is reinvested into infrastructure, returned to members, or used to maintain rate stability. The cooperative provides electricity at-cost and operates in the members' best interest. Revenue is also supplemented by member contributions to Operation Round-Up.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Budget Billing Program — level monthly payment plan for residential members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution utility that delivers reliable electricity to more than 5,000 homes, farms, and businesses across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio. The cooperative operates poles, wires, transformers, substations, and AMI smart meters, and supports members with the SmartHub web and mobile portal for billing, outage reporting, and usage monitoring. Wholesale power is sourced through Buckeye Power, the generation and transmission cooperative owned by Ohio's distribution co-ops.
Product overview
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative operates as a unified electric distribution system with member-facing digital services centered on the SmartHub platform for account management, payments, and outage reporting. The core offering is electricity distribution across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio, serving over 5,000 member-owners. Supporting this core product are digital tools including the SmartHub web portal and mobile app, an online Home Energy Calculator for usage estimation, and an Outage Map for real-time outage visibility. Members can access additional savings through Rebate Programs (geothermal, heat pumps, EV chargers, water heaters), a Budget Billing Program for predictable payments, and free Home Energy Audits. Community engagement programs include Operation Round-Up charitable giving, Youth Tour leadership scholarships, and the Kitchel Community Room facility for local organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electric Distribution Service Not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution service delivering reliable electricity to more than 5,000 homes, farms, and businesses across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio through cooperative-owned poles, wires, transformers, substations, and AMI smart meters.
- SmartHub Member Portal and Mobile App
Companies that use Darke Rural Electric Cooperative
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Butler Rural Electric CooperativeminorDarke REC partners with Butler Rural Electric Cooperative to co-host the Preble County Jr. Fair Exhibitor Picnic, serving hotdogs to 4-H and FFA families. This reflects the cooperative tradition of neighboring co-ops working together to support their shared communities.
- Buckeye PowercoreBuckeye Power is the generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative owned by Ohio's distribution electric cooperatives, including Darke REC. Since 1959, Ohio's electric cooperatives have owned their power generation through Buckeye Power, insulating members from volatile energy market fluctuations and keeping electric rates stable. Darke REC is a member-owner of Buckeye Power. Buckeye Power's board approved a special rate schedule for data centers to protect existing co-op members from associated infrastructure costs.
- Ohio's Electric CooperativescoreOhio's Electric Cooperatives is the statewide association representing and supporting Ohio's electric cooperatives. It publishes Ohio Cooperative Living magazine (delivered to nearly 300,000 members), organizes the Youth Tour program to Washington D.C., and coordinates statewide cooperative initiatives including advocacy, voter engagement (Co-ops Vote), and Voices for Cooperative Power.
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreNRECA is the national trade association representing America's electric cooperatives. Darke REC participates in NRECA's annual Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. (attended by ~2,000 co-op leaders), and NRECA Market Research Services conducts member satisfaction surveys on behalf of Darke REC. NRECA also coordinates national Youth Tour programs.
- National Trail (School)minorDarke REC participates in Cooperative Night at National Trail (a local school), engaging with students and the school community as part of its local outreach and education mission.
- Touchstone EnergyminorTouchstone Energy is a national brand of electric cooperatives. Darke REC is associated with Touchstone Energy and leverages its resources for energy efficiency tips and safety campaign materials shared with members. The cooperative also participates in Touchstone Energy's interactive home safety tour.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative social profiles
Digital presenceDarke Rural Electric Cooperative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative 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 Darke Rural Electric Cooperative
What does Darke Rural Electric Cooperative do?
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution utility that delivers reliable electricity to more than 5,000 homes, farms, and businesses across Darke, Preble, and Mercer counties in west central Ohio. The cooperative operates poles, wires, transformers, substations, and AMI smart meters, and supports members with the SmartHub web and mobile portal for billing, outage reporting, and usage monitoring. Wholesale power is sourced through Buckeye Power, the generation and transmission cooperative owned by Ohio's distribution co-ops.
Is Darke Rural Electric Cooperative a public or private company?
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Darke Rural Electric Cooperative founded?
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative was founded in 1936. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Darke Rural Electric Cooperative based?
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative is headquartered in Greenville, Ohio, United States, in the North America region.
How does Darke Rural Electric Cooperative make money?
One revenue line is on record: electricity Distribution Sales.
Does Darke Rural Electric Cooperative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Darke Rural Electric Cooperative.
What industry is Darke Rural Electric Cooperative in?
Darke Rural Electric Cooperative's product category is Rural Electric Distribution Utility. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADABAC, Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities), with a secondary code of EUAMAJAH, Interconnection, Permitting & Grid Services for DERs. Its NAICS code is 221122 and its SIC code is 4911.