Big Horn County Electric Cooperative

What Big Horn County Electric Cooperative does

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BHCEC) is a member-owned electric distribution utility cooperative incorporated in Montana in 1940 and currently operating under USDA Rural Utilities Service oversight. It distributes electricity across most of Big Horn County, Montana and a portion of Sheridan County, Wyoming, serving more than 2,300 members through approximately 1,350 miles of distribution lines and 3,900 meters. The cooperative is headquartered in Hardin, Montana (relocated from Lodge Grass in 1992) with the Lodge Grass facility continuing to operate as a service center; a nine-member elected board, with one director per district, governs the organization.

BHCEC offers tiered electricity services across five customer classes — residential, small commercial, large commercial, industrial, and irrigation — with usage-based pricing plus demand charges and base fees for larger users (e.g., Residential at $0.12618/kWh; Industrial Block 1 at $0.11340/kWh plus $52 base and $8.25 demand). It also operates member-facing programs including Net Metering for distributed generation, Capital Credits allocation tied to cooperative margins, Energy Share assistance, and annual scholarships. Member self-service is delivered through the SmartHub (bighorncounty.smarthub.coop) and eBill (bhcec.ebill.coop) platforms, with pay-by-phone and traditional offices for the rest.

The revenue model is fundamentally consumption-based electricity distribution, supplemented by fixed monthly fees, deposits, and yard-light tariffs. Members are simultaneously consumers and partial owners, with voting rights at the annual meeting and eligibility for capital credit retentions. Distribution is conducted directly by BHCEC over owned infrastructure to end users; no intermediaries or third-party resellers are involved. The cooperative is not investment-backed, has no parent company, and discloses no financial statements publicly.

Name

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://bhcec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative is a member-owned Montana-incorporated electric distribution utility serving over 2,300 members across Big Horn County, MT and part of Sheridan County, WY via 1,350 miles of lines and 3,900 meters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Member-owned utility cooperative
• Electricity distribution services
• Residential commercial industrial power
• Electric cooperative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hardin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution: BHCEC generates revenue through electricity distribution rates charged to over 2,300 members across residential, commercial, industrial, and irrigation customer segments. Revenue is collected through monthly billing based on consumption (kWh) and demand charges for larger customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative (BHCEC) is a member-owned electric distribution utility that delivers electricity to over 2,300 members across most of Big Horn County, Montana and a portion of Sheridan County, Wyoming. The cooperative operates 1,350 miles of distribution lines serving 3,900 meters, offering tiered residential, commercial, industrial, and irrigation electricity services at usage-based rates. As a cooperative, members are partial owners who elect directors, participate in annual meetings, and receive capital credits allocations based on their electric bills.

Product overview

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative (BHCEC) is a member-owned electric utility providing electricity distribution services across Big Horn County, Montana and portions of Sheridan County, Wyoming, serving over 2,300 members through approximately 1,350 miles of distribution lines to 3,900 meters. The cooperative offers tiered electricity services including Residential, Small Commercial, Large Commercial, Industrial, and Irrigation services, each with specific rate structures and demand requirements. Member-facing digital services include Online Bill Pay via SmartHub and eBill platforms, Net Metering for renewable energy generation, and Capital Credits reflecting member ownership. Additional member programs include Energy Share assistance and scholarship opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Electricity Service Electricity distribution service for homes, farms, and residential properties in the cooperative's service territory, billed at $0.12618 per kWh.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Northern Electric Cooperative: South Dakota-based rural electric cooperative serving northeastern South Dakota and border communities. Comparable member-owned structure and rural distribution footprint.
• Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative: Montana rural electric cooperative serving south-central Montana. Comparable cooperative governance, rural distribution model, and residential/commercial/irrigation mix.
• Sheridan County Electric Cooperative: Neighboring Wyoming rural electric cooperative with a similar member-owned distribution model serving rural customers in Sheridan County. Directly comparable in scale, business model, and service mix to BHCEC.
• Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative: Montana-based rural electric cooperative serving agricultural and rural customers in the Yellowstone region. Comparable member-owned distribution structure with overlapping irrigation and farming demand.
• Beartooth Electric Cooperative: Montana rural electric cooperative serving south-central Montana communities. Closely comparable cooperative structure, rural service territory, and agricultural customer base to BHCEC.

Others

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National trade association representing rural electric cooperatives including BHCEC. Provides advocacy, financing coordination, and shared services to small distribution cooperatives like BHCEC.

Broad incumbents

• NorthWestern Energy Group: Investor-owned utility serving Montana and the broader region with electric and natural gas distribution. Overlaps with BHCEC's Montana service territory as a much larger incumbent regulated utility.
• MDU Resources Group: Diversified utility holding company with electric distribution operations across the Northern Plains, including Montana. Comparable regulated electric distribution business at much larger scale.
• Black Hills Energy: Investor-owned utility providing electric and natural gas service across the Northern Plains and Western U.S. Operates in Wyoming adjacent to BHCEC's territory with a comparable regulated distribution model.

Direct peers

• Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association: Member-owned cooperative G&T that supplies wholesale power to rural electric distribution cooperatives across the Western U.S., including Montana. Direct upstream counterparty and structural peer to BHCEC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BIGHORNCOUNTYELECTRIC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-horn-electric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Big Horn County Electric Cooperative