Who runs the utilities in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 4,932,239 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (97% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 68.6%. Cooperative 21.8%. Municipal 9.4%. State and federal 0.1%. North Carolina ranks 32nd of 51 states, investor-owned.
North Carolina homes by utility type
North Carolina: customers by type, %
- 68.6Investor-owned
- 9.4Municipal
- 21.8Cooperative
- 0.1State and federal
| North Carolina type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 2 | 3,384,107 | 68.6% | 14.59 | not shown | 1,000 | 45% |
| Municipal | 71 | 463,976 | 9.4% | 12.02 | -2.56 (-18%) | 978 | 18% |
| Cooperative | 27 | 1,076,909 | 21.8% | 13.65 | -0.93 (-6%) | 1,090 | 51% |
| State and federal | 1 | 7,247 | 0.1% | not shown | not shown | 716 | 100% |
North Carolina prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 12.0 cents, 2.6 cents (18%) below investor-owned at 14.6; cooperatives average 13.7 cents, 0.9 cents (6%) below investor-owned at 14.6.
North Carolina gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
North Carolina: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 14.6 cents and municipal utilities at 12.0 are the widest pair in North Carolina, 2.6 cents (21%).
Investor-owned: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC holds 57% of priced customers at 13.9 cents, group average 14.6. Among 3 with 5,000+ customers, Virginia Electric & Power Co charges 13.9 and Duke Energy Progress 15.5, 1.6 cents apart.
Municipal: Fayetteville Public Works Commission holds 16% of priced customers at 12.2 cents, group average 12.0. Among 20 with 5,000+ customers, Town of Apex- (NC) charges 10.5 and City of Lumberton 13.8, 3.3 cents apart.
Cooperative: EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp holds 11% of priced customers at 11.5 cents, group average 13.7. Among 25 with 5,000+ customers, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp charges 11.5 and Roanoke Electric Member Corp 21.1, 9.6 cents apart.
North Carolina territory, rural or urban
North Carolina has 100 counties, 55% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 45% nonmetro; municipal territory is 18% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 51% nonmetro.
North Carolina: largest utilities
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor-owned | 1,919,372 | 13.94 | 984 | 36% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress | Investor-owned | 1,356,079 | 15.54 | 1,006 | 55% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 121,995 | 11.54 | 1,188 | 11% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor-owned | 108,656 | 13.93 | 1,201 | 60% |
| Brunswick Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | 105,562 | 13.66 | 957 | 75% |
| Union Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | 84,602 | 13.37 | 1,230 | 20% |
| Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 79,690 | 13.09 | 1,080 | 67% |
| Fayetteville Public Works Commission | Municipal | 75,987 | 12.21 | 971 | 0% |
| Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 71,926 | 14.59 | 869 | 71% |
| Rutherford Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 70,743 | 13.13 | 1,115 | 50% |
| Greenville Utilities Comm | Municipal | 65,731 | 11.97 | 993 | 0% |
| Lumbee River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 64,396 | 12.81 | 1,310 | 40% |
| Wake Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | 53,268 | 13.43 | 1,111 | 29% |
| South River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 45,730 | 13.30 | 1,257 | 60% |
| Carteret-Craven El Member Corp | Cooperative | 38,858 | 12.15 | 1,007 | 75% |
| Town of High Point | Municipal | 38,079 | 11.63 | 881 | 0% |
| French Broad Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 36,147 | 14.78 | 774 | 60% |
| City of Wilson | Municipal | 32,078 | 12.13 | 1,083 | 29% |
| Randolph Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | 31,086 | 15.91 | 1,026 | 20% |
| Four County Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 30,807 | 13.98 | 1,244 | 67% |
| Piedmont Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | 30,334 | 15.60 | 1,146 | 29% |
| City of Concord | Municipal | 29,857 | 11.85 | 997 | 0% |
| Town of Apex- (NC) | Municipal | 29,289 | 10.52 | 905 | 0% |
| Haywood Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | 29,078 | 16.60 | 807 | 67% |
| Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 28,080 | 16.06 | 1,032 | 40% |
| City of Gastonia | Municipal | 27,008 | 12.40 | 889 | 0% |
| City of Rocky Mount | Municipal | 25,407 | 12.18 | 999 | 0% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) | Cooperative | 22,523 | 12.76 | 1,241 | 71% |
| Central Electric Membership Corp. | Cooperative | 22,071 | 14.34 | 1,284 | 40% |
| Tideland Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | 21,551 | 16.18 | 930 | 100% |
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North Carolina next to its neighbors
North Carolina: municipal -18%, cooperative -6% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
| State | Investor-owned | Municipal | Cooperative | Muni gap | Coop gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 69% | 9% | 22% | -18% | -6% |
| Georgia | 52% | 5% | 43% | -17% | -18% |
| South Carolina | 56% | 5% | 31% | -11% | +1% |
| Tennessee | 1% | 66% | 33% | -3% | -3% |
| Virginia | 80% | 3% | 17% | -10% | -5% |
More
Similar investor-owned share: Montana 73%, Wyoming 71%, Oklahoma 68%, Missouri 67%
Sources
North Carolina: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most North Carolina homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 68.6% of 4,932,239 customers.
Do North Carolina co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 12.0 cents per kWh against 14.6 for investor-owned (-18%). Cooperatives averaged 13.7 cents per kWh against 14.6 for investor-owned (-6%).
How many utilities does North Carolina have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 101; residential sales are reported by 54.
Can North Carolina customers pick their utility?
No; North Carolina shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.