Who runs the utilities in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 1,451,263 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (98% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 53.7%. Cooperative 33.9%. Municipal 12.4%. Arkansas ranks 44th of 51 states, investor-owned.
Arkansas homes by utility type
Arkansas: customers by type, %
- 53.7Investor-owned
- 12.4Municipal
- 33.9Cooperative
| Arkansas type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 1 | 779,495 | 53.7% | 12.69 | not shown | 1,025 | 78% |
| Municipal | 15 | 179,974 | 12.4% | 9.48 | -3.21 (-25%) | 1,028 | 12% |
| Cooperative | 18 | 491,794 | 33.9% | 12.73 | +0.04 (+0%) | 1,091 | 63% |
Arkansas prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 9.5 cents, 3.2 cents (25%) below investor-owned at 12.7; cooperatives average 12.7 cents, 0.0 cents (0%) above investor-owned at 12.7.
Arkansas gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Arkansas: which utilities set the averages
Cooperative at 12.7 cents and municipal utilities at 9.5 are the widest pair in Arkansas, 3.3 cents (34%).
Investor-owned: Entergy Arkansas LLC holds 78% of priced customers at 13.0 cents, group average 12.7. Among 3 with 5,000+ customers, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co charges 11.5 and Entergy Arkansas LLC 13.0, 1.5 cents apart.
Municipal: City Water and Light Plant holds 19% of priced customers at 6.6 cents, group average 9.5. Among 9 with 5,000+ customers, City Water and Light Plant charges 6.6 and City of North Little Rock 12.2, 5.6 cents apart.
Cooperative: Carroll Electric Coop Corp holds 21% of priced customers at 12.3 cents, group average 12.7. Among 13 with 5,000+ customers, Woodruff Electric Coop Corp charges 11.4 and Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp 15.6, 4.2 cents apart.
Arkansas territory, rural or urban
Arkansas has 75 counties, 77% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 78% nonmetro; municipal territory is 12% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 63% nonmetro.
Arkansas: largest utilities
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | Investor-owned | 608,362 | 12.97 | 1,056 | 83% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor-owned | 108,102 | 11.53 | 850 | 64% |
| Carroll Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 101,154 | 12.25 | 1,088 | 57% |
| First Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 95,175 | 12.27 | 1,167 | 59% |
| Ozarks Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 72,076 | 13.03 | 1,028 | 20% |
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor-owned | 58,218 | 11.49 | 1,028 | 57% |
| Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | 54,372 | 13.33 | 1,106 | 64% |
| North Arkansas Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 36,355 | 12.86 | 964 | 100% |
| City Water and Light Plant | Municipal | 35,013 | 6.63 | 1,197 | 0% |
| City of North Little Rock | Municipal | 34,984 | 12.23 | 885 | 0% |
| Conway Corporation | Municipal | 30,979 | 8.29 | 985 | 0% |
| Craighead Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 25,326 | 11.99 | 1,269 | 62% |
| City of Bentonville | Municipal | 25,103 | 11.65 | 954 | 0% |
| Southwest Arkansas E C C | Cooperative | 24,879 | 12.96 | 1,220 | 75% |
| C & L Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 20,000 | 13.26 | 1,050 | 89% |
| Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 18,776 | 15.62 | 945 | 89% |
| City of Benton | Municipal | 12,972 | 10.30 | 998 | 0% |
| Paragould Municipal Utilities | Municipal | 12,540 | 9.48 | 1,328 | 100% |
| Woodruff Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 12,125 | 11.40 | 1,153 | 100% |
| Clay County Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 10,523 | 14.20 | 881 | 100% |
| City of West Memphis | Municipal | 10,199 | 8.08 | 1,141 | 0% |
| South Central Ark El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 9,410 | 14.70 | 965 | 100% |
| City of Siloam Springs | Municipal | 8,590 | 11.65 | 862 | 0% |
| Ouachita Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 8,391 | 13.19 | 947 | 100% |
| City of Hope | Municipal | 5,782 | 11.69 | 909 | 100% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor-owned | 4,813 | 13.39 | 918 | 0% |
| Clarksville Connected Utilities | Municipal | 3,812 | 8.67 | 989 | 100% |
| Mississippi County Electric Co | Cooperative | 3,232 | 8.48 | 1,414 | 100% |
Compare your Arkansas utility
- Pick a utility.
Arkansas next to its neighbors
Arkansas: municipal -25%, cooperative +0% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
More
Similar investor-owned share: North Dakota 56%, Kentucky 54%, Georgia 52%, Washington 44%
Sources
Arkansas: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Arkansas homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 53.7% of 1,451,263 customers.
Do Arkansas co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 9.5 cents per kWh against 12.7 for investor-owned (-25%). Cooperatives averaged 12.7 cents per kWh against 12.7 for investor-owned (+0%).
How many utilities does Arkansas have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 34; residential sales are reported by 28.
Can Arkansas customers pick their utility?
No; Arkansas shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.