Who runs the utilities in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 2,047,987 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (99% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 54.0%. Cooperative 38.8%. Municipal 7.2%. Kentucky ranks 43rd of 51 states, investor-owned.
Kentucky homes by utility type
Kentucky: customers by type, %
- 54.0Investor-owned
- 7.2Municipal
- 38.8Cooperative
| Kentucky type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 3 | 1,105,832 | 54.0% | 12.60 | not shown | 1,016 | 40% |
| Municipal | 29 | 147,792 | 7.2% | 12.53 | -0.08 (-1%) | 911 | 39% |
| Cooperative | 24 | 794,363 | 38.8% | 13.10 | +0.50 (+4%) | 1,117 | 66% |
Kentucky prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 12.5 cents, 0.1 cents (1%) below investor-owned at 12.6; cooperatives average 13.1 cents, 0.5 cents (4%) above investor-owned at 12.6.
Kentucky gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Kentucky: which utilities set the averages
Cooperative at 13.1 cents and municipal utilities at 12.5 are the widest pair in Kentucky, 0.6 cents (5%).
Investor-owned: Kentucky Utilities Co holds 41% of priced customers at 11.8 cents, group average 12.6. Among 4 with 5,000+ customers, Kentucky Utilities Co charges 11.8 and Kentucky Power Co 15.1, 3.2 cents apart.
Municipal: City of Bowling Green holds 18% of priced customers at 11.5 cents, group average 12.5. Among 9 with 5,000+ customers, Henderson City Utility Comm charges 10.8 and City of Paducah 15.6, 4.7 cents apart.
Cooperative: South Kentucky Rural E C C holds 8% of priced customers at 12.9 cents, group average 13.1. Among 23 with 5,000+ customers, Salt River Electric Coop Corp charges 10.9 and Grayson Rural Electric Coop Corp 16.1, 5.2 cents apart.
Kentucky territory, rural or urban
Kentucky has 120 counties, 68% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 40% nonmetro; municipal territory is 39% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 66% nonmetro.
Kentucky: largest utilities
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor-owned | 450,673 | 11.85 | 1,097 | 65% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Investor-owned | 384,902 | 12.28 | 911 | 11% |
| Duke Energy Kentucky | Investor-owned | 139,405 | 13.44 | 889 | 0% |
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor-owned | 130,852 | 15.07 | 1,183 | 80% |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | 64,877 | 12.92 | 1,006 | 100% |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 63,984 | 12.55 | 1,108 | 22% |
| Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | 60,701 | 11.98 | 1,262 | 62% |
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | 60,641 | 12.32 | 1,167 | 48% |
| Salt River Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 53,479 | 10.88 | 1,200 | 40% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | 49,423 | 13.66 | 1,122 | 100% |
| Kenergy Corp | Cooperative | 47,292 | 15.15 | 1,181 | 79% |
| Pennyrile Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | 40,645 | 13.16 | 1,185 | 38% |
| Nolin Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 35,855 | 13.08 | 1,140 | 56% |
| West Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | 32,062 | 13.46 | 1,157 | 67% |
| Meade County Rural E C C | Cooperative | 29,248 | 14.27 | 974 | 67% |
| City of Bowling Green | Municipal | 27,181 | 11.48 | 890 | 0% |
| Inter County Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | 26,655 | 13.74 | 1,095 | 83% |
| Clark Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | 26,203 | 13.25 | 1,046 | 73% |
| Taylor County Rural E C C | Cooperative | 24,985 | 13.27 | 1,008 | 100% |
| Farmers Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 24,889 | 13.08 | 1,043 | 64% |
| Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation | Cooperative | 23,979 | 15.64 | 1,178 | 33% |
| Fleming-Mason Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | 23,666 | 13.04 | 1,009 | 88% |
| City of Owensboro | Municipal | 23,286 | 13.43 | 768 | 0% |
| Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc. | Cooperative | 22,478 | 12.87 | 1,084 | 100% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN) | Cooperative | 20,529 | 12.52 | 1,147 | 89% |
| City of Paducah | Municipal | 18,863 | 15.55 | 892 | 0% |
| Shelby Energy Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 17,437 | 13.21 | 1,181 | 50% |
| City of Frankfort | Municipal | 17,200 | 11.23 | 1,005 | 33% |
| Licking Valley Rural E C C | Cooperative | 16,805 | 13.84 | 927 | 100% |
| Grayson Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 14,429 | 16.07 | 950 | 50% |
Compare your Kentucky utility
- Pick a utility.
Kentucky next to its neighbors
Kentucky: municipal -1%, cooperative +4% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
More
Similar investor-owned share: South Carolina 56%, North Dakota 56%, Arkansas 54%, Georgia 52%
Sources
Kentucky: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Kentucky homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 54.0% of 2,047,987 customers.
Do Kentucky co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 12.5 cents per kWh against 12.6 for investor-owned (-1%). Cooperatives averaged 13.1 cents per kWh against 12.6 for investor-owned (+4%).
How many utilities does Kentucky have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 56; residential sales are reported by 45.
Can Kentucky customers pick their utility?
No; Kentucky shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.