Electric Utility Companies in the United States
There are 2,896 electric utility companies in the United States, including investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and federal power agencies across 52 states and territories. Enter your ZIP code below to find which utility delivers power to your address.
How many electric utilities are in the U.S.?
There are more than 2,800 electric utility companies operating in the United States. The lookup above draws from federal service-territory data and maps every electric utility in the country — investor-owned, municipal, cooperative, and federal — to the ZIP codes they serve.
Because ZIP codes are postal routes, not precise geographic boundaries, a single ZIP can overlap several utility service territories. This is especially common in rural and semi-rural areas. For example, a Tyler-area ZIP might return Oncor (the deregulated TDU), several rural electric co-ops, and SWEPCO (a regulated investor-owned utility). All of them genuinely serve portions of that ZIP — your specific street address determines which one delivers your power.
The utility profiles below are a separate, curated directory of major distribution utilities in deregulated electricity markets — the Texas TDUs, Pennsylvania EDCs, Ohio EDCs, and others. These are the utilities where customers can shop for competitive electricity rates. The search is comprehensive (every utility in the US), while the profiles are editorial (focused on utilities in markets where you have a choice of supplier).
Texas has 5 Transmission and Distribution Utilities (TDUs) that deliver electricity across the deregulated ERCOT market. Your TDU is assigned by address — you cannot choose it — but you can shop among retail electricity providers for the best rate.
Pennsylvania has 5 major Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs) in its deregulated electricity market. Each EDC owns the local wires and meters in its territory while consumers choose a competitive electricity supplier.
Ohio has a deregulated electricity market with 2 major Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs). Residential and commercial customers in these service territories can switch to a competitive electricity supplier.
New Jersey has 2 major EDCs in its deregulated electricity market. Customers served by these utilities can choose a third-party electricity supplier for potentially lower rates.
Several New England states — including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire — have deregulated electricity markets. These 3 major EDCs serve the region while customers can shop for competitive supply rates.
What is an electric utility?
An electric utility is a company that delivers electricity to homes and businesses through the power grid. In deregulated electricity markets, utilities (called TDUs in Texas, EDCs in other states) build and maintain the physical infrastructure: power lines, substations, transformers, and metering equipment. They are distinct from retail suppliers (REPs), which sell electricity plans.
- Maintain infrastructure — repairs, upgrades, and vegetation management.
- Restore outages — crews and dispatch for the local distribution system.
- Read meters — usage data flows to your supplier for billing.
- Regulated by state commissions — delivery rates are set under regulatory oversight.
Electric utility vs. electric provider: what’s the difference?
Your electric utility and your electric provider (supplier) are not the same company. Think of the utility as the “delivery company” and the provider as the “retailer” on your statement.
Utility (TDU / EDC)
Assigned by location. Maintains the grid and reads the meter. Handles outages. You do not choose your utility.
Retail Supplier (REP / TPS)
Sells energy products and handles billing. In deregulated areas you do choose your supplier and can switch for better rates.
How to find your electric utility when moving
In Texas, when you start service your supplier submits a move-in request to the TDU. The TDU identifies your meter point by its ESI-ID (Electric Service Identifier) — a unique number assigned to every service address in the ERCOT market. You can find it on a prior bill or use our ESI-ID lookup tool. The first digits of your ESI-ID indicate which TDU territory you are in. ESI-IDs are specific to Texas; other states use different meter-point identifiers.
When to call your electric utility
Report downed power lines to your utility or 911. Also contact your utility for sustained area flicker, damaged equipment (e.g. broken poles, pad-mount transformers), or trees in contact with primary lines — your supplier cannot dispatch line crews.
Frequently asked questions
Who is my electric company?
Your electric company — also called your electric utility — is determined by your address. Enter your ZIP code in the lookup tool above to instantly find which utility delivers power to your home or business. You can also find the name on any past electricity bill or by calling your city or county government.
How many electric utility companies are there in the United States?
There are more than 2,800 electric utility companies in the United States. These include investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and federal power agencies. The largest — like Duke Energy, Southern Company, and Exelon — serve millions of customers each.
Who do I call during a power outage?
Call your utility's outage line (see the profiles above). Your retail supplier cannot restore power or repair street-level infrastructure.
Can I choose my electric utility?
No. Your electric utility is assigned based on your geographic location — you cannot change it. In deregulated states, you can choose your electricity supplier (the company that sells you energy), but the utility that owns the local wires and meters stays the same.
What are the types of electric utilities?
The four main types of electric utilities in the U.S. are: investor-owned utilities (IOUs) like Duke Energy and Con Edison, which are publicly traded companies; municipal utilities owned by city or local governments; rural electric cooperatives (co-ops) owned by their members; and federal power agencies like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Why do delivery charges vary by utility?
Each utility's cost structure, customer density, and approved capital investments differ. State commissions review and approve tariffs, which is why delivery charges are not identical across utilities.
Are TDU charges included in the EFL price?
Yes. Texas EFL "average price" disclosures at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh include TDU pass-through charges so you can compare plans consistently.
What if I'm in a regulated city?
Municipal utilities like Austin Energy or CPS Energy combine delivery and retail functions. You typically cannot pick a separate supplier the way deregulated-area customers do.
What's the difference between a TDU and a REP?
The TDU (or EDC) delivers electricity and maintains wires and meters. The REP (or TPS) sells you a plan and is your primary customer-service contact for billing — but not for physical outages.