Who runs the utilities in Tennessee?
Tennessee has 3,166,103 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (100% of EIA's count). Municipal 66.0%. Cooperative 32.6%. Investor-owned 1.4%. Investor-owned is 1%, 50th of 51 states.
Tennessee homes by utility type
Tennessee: customers by type, %
- 1.4Investor-owned
- 66.0Municipal
- 32.6Cooperative
| Tennessee type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 0 | 43,160 | 1.4% | 12.84 | not shown | 1,228 | 0% |
| Municipal | 60 | 2,089,242 | 66.0% | 12.43 | -0.41 (-3%) | 1,108 | 20% |
| Cooperative | 21 | 1,033,701 | 32.6% | 12.40 | -0.44 (-3%) | 1,242 | 40% |
| State and federal | 1 | 0 | none | none | not shown | none | no county data |
Tennessee prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 12.4 cents, 0.4 cents (3%) below investor-owned at 12.8; cooperatives average 12.4 cents, 0.4 cents (3%) below investor-owned at 12.8.
Tennessee gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Tennessee: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 12.8 cents and cooperatives at 12.4 are the widest pair in Tennessee, 0.4 cents (4%).
Investor-owned: Kingsport Power Co alone has a price, 43,159 customers at 12.8 cents.
Municipal: Nashville Electric Service holds 20% of priced customers at 13.5 cents, group average 12.4. Among 49 with 5,000+ customers, City of Bristol charges 10.8 and Benton County 13.9, 3.1 cents apart.
Cooperative: Middle Tennessee E M C holds 30% of priced customers at 11.8 cents, group average 12.4. Among 21 with 5,000+ customers, Chickasaw Electric Coop, Inc charges 11.0 and Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc 14.3, 3.3 cents apart.
Tennessee territory, rural or urban
Tennessee has 95 counties, 54% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 0% nonmetro; municipal territory is 20% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 40% nonmetro.
Tennessee: largest utilities
| Nashville Electric Service | Municipal | 417,640 | 13.47 | 1,021 | 0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Memphis | Municipal | 380,286 | 12.16 | 1,139 | 0% |
| Middle Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | 307,370 | 11.76 | 1,261 | 12% |
| Knoxville Utilities Board | Municipal | 193,707 | 12.54 | 1,093 | 14% |
| City of Chattanooga | Municipal | 164,417 | 12.32 | 1,110 | 33% |
| Volunteer Electric Coop | Cooperative | 104,387 | 12.19 | 1,183 | 73% |
| Cumberland Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 100,585 | 12.99 | 1,362 | 0% |
| City of Clarksville | Municipal | 75,953 | 12.77 | 1,121 | 0% |
| Johnson City | Municipal | 72,205 | 12.41 | 1,156 | 25% |
| Duck River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 71,342 | 12.50 | 1,349 | 71% |
| City of Lenoir | Municipal | 62,455 | 11.95 | 1,221 | 0% |
| Upper Cumberland E M C | Cooperative | 45,560 | 12.77 | 1,179 | 78% |
| Southwest Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | 43,750 | 12.90 | 1,290 | 44% |
| Appalachian Electric Coop | Cooperative | 43,709 | 12.93 | 1,222 | 25% |
| Kingsport Power Co | Investor-owned | 43,159 | 12.84 | 1,228 | 0% |
| Sevier County Electric System | Municipal | 35,626 | 11.33 | 1,133 | 50% |
| Sequachee Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | 33,206 | 12.97 | 1,143 | 62% |
| City of Greeneville | Municipal | 32,388 | 11.90 | 1,209 | 100% |
| City of Jackson | Municipal | 31,856 | 11.97 | 1,068 | 0% |
| Columbia Power System | Municipal | 31,166 | 12.00 | 1,088 | 0% |
| City of Dickson | Municipal | 30,808 | 11.65 | 1,232 | 20% |
| Fort Loudoun Electric Coop | Cooperative | 30,527 | 12.11 | 1,341 | 33% |
| Meriwether Lewis Electric Coop | Cooperative | 30,319 | 13.68 | 1,180 | 80% |
| Caney Fork Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 29,631 | 12.89 | 1,160 | 88% |
| City of Bristol | Municipal | 29,622 | 10.81 | 1,251 | 0% |
| City of Cleveland | Municipal | 29,331 | 12.53 | 1,103 | 0% |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | 29,331 | 13.00 | 1,280 | 67% |
| City of Alcoa Utilities | Municipal | 28,183 | 12.21 | 1,213 | 0% |
| City of Clinton | Municipal | 26,230 | 12.99 | 1,188 | 0% |
| Holston Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 25,773 | 13.05 | 1,161 | 0% |
Compare your Tennessee utility
- Pick a utility.
Tennessee next to its neighbors
Tennessee: municipal -3%, cooperative -3% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
| State | Investor-owned | Municipal | Cooperative | Muni gap | Coop gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 1% | 66% | 33% | -3% | -3% |
| Alabama | 57% | 21% | 22% | -29% | -14% |
| Arkansas | 54% | 12% | 34% | -25% | +0% |
| Georgia | 52% | 5% | 43% | -17% | -18% |
| Kentucky | 54% | 7% | 39% | -1% | +4% |
| Mississippi | 42% | 7% | 52% | -12% | -1% |
| Missouri | 67% | 10% | 24% | -1% | -1% |
| North Carolina | 69% | 9% | 22% | -18% | -6% |
| Virginia | 80% | 3% | 17% | -10% | -5% |
More
Similar municipal share: Nebraska 27%, Alabama 21%
Sources
Tennessee: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Tennessee homes?
Municipal utilities, 66.0% of 3,166,103 customers.
Do Tennessee co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 12.4 cents per kWh against 12.8 for investor-owned (-3%). Cooperatives averaged 12.4 cents per kWh against 12.8 for investor-owned (-3%).
How many utilities does Tennessee have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 82; residential sales are reported by 87.
Can Tennessee customers pick their utility?
No; Tennessee shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.