Mountain Electric Coop, Inc
Cooperative electric utility · North Carolina · #458 of 3,199 U.S. utilities by customers · EIA utility #13027
Mountain Electric Coop, Inc is a cooperative electric utility serving 36,481 customers in North Carolina, Tennessee. In 2025 it sold 543 gigawatt-hours of electricity for $73.60M in revenue, an average realized rate of 13.57¢ per kWh across all customer classes and 13.13¢ per kWh for residential customers. Its reported service territory covers 6 counties. EIA records its activities as: distribution.
Customers, sales and rates by customer class (2025)
| Class | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Revenue | Avg realized rate | Share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 27,882 | 335 | $44.02M | 13.13¢ | |
| Commercial | 8,596 | 193 | $27.05M | 14.03¢ | |
| Industrial | 3 | 14.5 | $2.53M | 17.46¢ | |
| Total | 36,481 | 543 | $73.60M | 13.57¢ |
Average realized rate = revenue divided by sales as reported on EIA Form 861. It blends fixed charges, demand charges and riders into one per-kWh figure; it is not the utility's tariff rate. Estimated residential bill assumes the average residential customer's actual 2025 usage (1,002 kWh/month).
Operations by state
| State | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Residential rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 20,165 | 296 | 13.17¢ |
| Tennessee | 16,316 | 246 | 13.09¢ |
Five-year trend
| Year | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Revenue | Residential rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35,441 | 647 | $63.54M | 10.87¢ |
| 2022 | 35,854 | 627 | $69.01M | 11.99¢ |
| 2023 | 36,164 | 605 | $68.39M | 12.10¢ |
| 2024 | 36,326 | 591 | $69.71M | 12.43¢ |
| 2025 | 36,481 | 543 | $73.60M | 13.13¢ |
Reliability (2025)
Average outage time (SAIDI): 79 minutes per customer per year
Average outages (SAIFI): 4.12 per customer
Average restoration time (CAIDI): 19 minutes
As reported for Tennessee under the IEEE standard, with major event days included where the standard reports them. Lower is better; see the reliability rankings.
Energy supply (2025)
Net generation: 0.0 GWh
Wholesale power purchased: 572 GWh
Winter peak demand: 178 MW
Energy losses: 5.1% of energy handled
Meters & rooftop solar (2025)
Smart (AMI) meters: 100.0% of 36,481 meters
Counties served
Avery, NCBurke, NCCarter, TNJohnson, TNUnicoi, TNWatauga, NC
Other large utilities in North Carolina
- Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC - 2,962,438 customers, residential 13.43¢
- Duke Energy Progress - (NC) - 1,782,155 customers, residential 15.07¢
- EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp - 145,028 customers, residential 11.61¢
- Brunswick Electric Member Corp - 118,326 customers, residential 13.34¢
- Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC) - 90,148 customers, residential 13.92¢
- Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp - 85,801 customers, residential 13.39¢
- Fayetteville Public Works Commission - 85,088 customers, residential 12.14¢
- Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) - 81,175 customers, residential 14.92¢
All North Carolina utilities and rates
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 2025 (filed by the utility; figures as published). Utility #13027 in the EIA frame.