Who runs the utilities in Alabama?
Alabama has 2,336,553 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (97% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 57.0%. Cooperative 21.7%. Municipal 21.3%. Alabama ranks 39th of 51 states, investor-owned.
Alabama homes by utility type
Alabama: customers by type, %
- 57.0Investor-owned
- 21.3Municipal
- 21.7Cooperative
| Alabama type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 2 | 1,332,911 | 57.0% | 16.77 | not shown | 1,129 | 56% |
| Municipal | 36 | 497,283 | 21.3% | 11.87 | -4.90 (-29%) | 1,175 | 13% |
| Cooperative | 23 | 506,359 | 21.7% | 14.46 | -2.31 (-14%) | 1,167 | 61% |
Alabama prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 11.9 cents, 4.9 cents (29%) below investor-owned at 16.8; cooperatives average 14.5 cents, 2.3 cents (14%) below investor-owned at 16.8.
Alabama gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Alabama: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 16.8 cents and municipal utilities at 11.9 are the widest pair in Alabama, 4.9 cents (41%).
Investor-owned: Alabama Power Co alone has a price, 1,332,911 customers at 16.8 cents.
Municipal: City of Huntsville holds 40% of priced customers at 11.5 cents, group average 11.9. Among 15 with 5,000+ customers, City of Troy charges 9.7 and Foley Board of Utilities 13.5, 3.8 cents apart.
Cooperative: Baldwin County El Member Corp holds 16% of priced customers at 13.9 cents, group average 14.5. Among 20 with 5,000+ customers, Arab Electric Coop Inc charges 12.0 and Pea River Electric Coop 16.8, 4.8 cents apart.
Alabama territory, rural or urban
Alabama has 67 counties, 54% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 56% nonmetro; municipal territory is 13% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 61% nonmetro.
Alabama: largest utilities
| Alabama Power Co | Investor-owned | 1,332,911 | 16.77 | 1,129 | 56% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Huntsville | Municipal | 197,537 | 11.45 | 1,173 | 0% |
| Baldwin County El Member Corp | Cooperative | 83,005 | 13.87 | 1,126 | 50% |
| City of Athens | Municipal | 50,985 | 12.24 | 1,137 | 0% |
| Foley Board of Utilities | Municipal | 50,954 | 13.48 | 1,236 | 0% |
| Central Alabama Electric Coop | Cooperative | 45,036 | 16.64 | 1,164 | 50% |
| City of Florence | Municipal | 41,594 | 11.61 | 1,273 | 0% |
| Cullman Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 39,779 | 13.26 | 1,239 | 50% |
| Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 36,973 | 14.49 | 1,343 | 0% |
| Tallapoosa River Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 29,578 | 14.39 | 1,156 | 75% |
| Sand Mountain Electric Coop | Cooperative | 27,298 | 12.55 | 1,176 | 100% |
| City of Dothan | Municipal | 26,752 | 10.72 | 1,175 | 50% |
| Covington Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 23,281 | 16.65 | 1,135 | 83% |
| Decatur Utilities | Municipal | 22,820 | 11.15 | 1,172 | 0% |
| Wiregrass Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 22,401 | 15.45 | 1,222 | 50% |
| Dixie Electric Coop | Cooperative | 22,054 | 15.05 | 1,179 | 50% |
| Southern Pine Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 20,645 | 13.90 | 1,061 | 80% |
| Black Warrior Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 20,053 | 13.24 | 1,111 | 67% |
| Cherokee Electric Coop | Cooperative | 18,830 | 15.06 | 1,117 | 60% |
| Clarke-Washington E M C | Cooperative | 18,708 | 15.76 | 984 | 100% |
| Marshall-De Kalb Electric Coop | Cooperative | 17,318 | 12.48 | 1,241 | 67% |
| South Alabama Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 16,801 | 15.44 | 1,021 | 75% |
| Sheffield Utilities | Municipal | 15,663 | 12.35 | 1,246 | 0% |
| Coosa Valley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 15,612 | 15.71 | 1,212 | 33% |
| Pea River Electric Coop | Cooperative | 14,922 | 16.77 | 1,145 | 75% |
| Arab Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 14,062 | 11.96 | 1,238 | 100% |
| City of Opelika | Municipal | 13,555 | 12.83 | 1,013 | 0% |
| North Alabama Electric Coop | Cooperative | 13,099 | 12.84 | 1,263 | 100% |
| City of Bessemer Utilities | Municipal | 9,378 | 12.26 | 1,035 | 0% |
| Albertville Municipal Utilities Board | Municipal | 8,318 | 10.67 | 1,245 | 100% |
Compare your Alabama utility
- Pick a utility.
Alabama next to its neighbors
Alabama: municipal -29%, cooperative -14% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
| State | Investor-owned | Municipal | Cooperative | Muni gap | Coop gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 57% | 21% | 22% | -29% | -14% |
| Florida | 75% | 13% | 12% | -9% | -8% |
| Georgia | 52% | 5% | 43% | -17% | -18% |
| Mississippi | 42% | 7% | 52% | -12% | -1% |
| Tennessee | 1% | 66% | 33% | -3% | -3% |
More
Similar investor-owned share: Minnesota 60%, Colorado 58%, Arizona 57%, South Carolina 56%
Sources
Alabama: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Alabama homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 57.0% of 2,336,553 customers.
Do Alabama co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 11.9 cents per kWh against 16.8 for investor-owned (-29%). Cooperatives averaged 14.5 cents per kWh against 16.8 for investor-owned (-14%).
How many utilities does Alabama have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 61; residential sales are reported by 45.
Can Alabama customers pick their utility?
No; Alabama shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.