Brown County, Ohio Electric Utilities & Business Choice
Market-reference note: Numerical default-price examples below retain their cited 2026 reference period. They are historical class-level context, not a current account quote. Confirm the applicable business rate, components and effective dates on your bill before comparing an offer. How to establish your benchmark.
Who provides electricity in Brown County?
Brown County is split among three investor-owned utilities: Duke Energy Ohio serves the largest share, with AEP Ohio and AES Ohio serving other areas. Two electric cooperatives also serve rural parts of the county. Municipal electric systems operate in Georgetown, Hamersville, and Ripley. Businesses on an investor-owned utility can choose a PUCO-certified generation supplier; co-op members and municipal-system customers generally cannot. Brown County is in southwest Ohio, with its county seat in Georgetown and 43,676 residents (2020 Census).
| Provider | Type | Can businesses choose a supplier? |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| AEP Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| AES Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Adams Rural Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| South Central Power Company | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Georgetown | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
| Hamersville | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
| Ripley | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
Utility boundaries follow service-territory maps, not township or city lines, so two buildings a mile apart can have different providers. The utility name on each bill is the final word. What co-op and municipal customers can do instead of shopping is covered in municipal and co-op areas.
AEP Ohio begins operating under the name Ohio Power Company on October 1, 2026 (website OhioPowerCo.com). The utility says rates, service, account numbers and supplier choice don't change.
Default prices for the utilities in Brown County
| Utility | Small-business default generation price | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Ohio | Historical class reference: 11.36¢/kWh, DM (first 2,800 kWh) rate | effective June 1, 2026 |
| AEP Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.97¢ | July 1 – Sept 30, 2026 |
| AES Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.86¢ | June 2026 – May 2027 annual average |
All of these utilities sit in PJM, where the capacity price that feeds into generation costs is $329.17/MW-day for June 2026–May 2027 and $333.44 for 2027/28, versus $28.92 in 2024/25.
Buying for several sites in Brown County
- Split the bid by utility. Suppliers price Duke Energy Ohio, AEP Ohio, and AES Ohio accounts separately, so a single county-wide price isn't realistic.
- Pull out co-op and municipal meters. They generally can't be enrolled with a retail supplier; sending them wastes suppliers' credit reviews and slows quotes.
- Check aggregation status. Accounts at 700,000 kWh a year or less may already be in a community aggregation program; note each account's current supplier and end date.
- Co-term contracts. Aligning end dates lets you re-bid the whole portfolio at once instead of renewing one site at a time.
Brown County and its neighbors
Southwest Ohio is split between Duke Energy Ohio (Greater Cincinnati) and AES Ohio (Dayton and the Miami Valley), with municipal systems in Hamilton, Piqua, Lebanon and several villages.
| Neighboring county | County seat | Investor-owned utilities |
|---|---|---|
| Clermont County | Batavia (20 mi from Georgetown) | Duke Energy Ohio |
| Adams County | West Union (21 mi from Georgetown) | AEP Ohio |
| Highland County | Hillsboro (26 mi from Georgetown) | AEP Ohio, AES Ohio, and Duke Energy Ohio |
| Hamilton County | Cincinnati (37 mi from Georgetown) | Duke Energy Ohio |
No city guide on this site is inside Brown County; the closest ones to Georgetown are Cincinnati (37 mi, Duke Energy Ohio), Mason (39 mi, Duke Energy Ohio), and Fairfield (46 mi, Duke Energy Ohio).
FAQ: Brown County electricity
What electric companies serve Brown County, Ohio?
Duke Energy Ohio, AEP Ohio, AES Ohio, Adams Rural Electric Cooperative, South Central Power Company, Georgetown, Hamersville, and Ripley.
Can businesses in Brown County choose an electricity supplier?
Yes, if the account is on Duke Energy Ohio or AEP Ohio or AES Ohio. Cooperative members and municipal-system customers generally cannot.
How do I know which utility serves my Brown County building?
Look at the name printed on the bill's delivery section. If you're buying or leasing a new site, ask the landlord or seller for a recent bill before comparing costs.
Decision worksheet: service areas within Brown County
Use a meter schedule rather than one county-wide assumption
Brown County is in southwest Ohio and its county seat is Georgetown. A county portfolio should begin with each legal customer, utility name and service address. Investor-owned utility coverage, municipal systems and cooperative service do not stop neatly at the same administrative boundaries.
There is no separately maintained city guide in this county’s current city inventory. Use the utility named on the actual bill rather than substituting a nearby city’s information.
The existing county inventory identifies cooperative context including Adams Rural Electric Cooperative, South Central Power Company and municipal context including Georgetown, Hamersville, Ripley. This is not an exhaustive address-level determination; confirm service directly before enrolling a meter.
Assign responsibilities before a portfolio bid
Give one person ownership of the service-address list, another responsibility for expected operating changes, and a named signer responsibility for contract authority. These roles may be held by one person, but they should not be assumed from who receives the monthly invoice. Tenant, franchise and property-management arrangements deserve a separate authority check.
Keep non-shoppable accounts in the operating-cost review while excluding them from retail-supplier enrollment schedules. For eligible accounts, compare start dates, included supply components, additional fees and site-removal rights. A master agreement is a contractual structure, not a guarantee that every meter receives the same price or automatic savings.
Use the comparison tools without sending financial inputs to the website. The first inquiry needs only business, utility and the decision you want help with. For definitions, consult PUCO’s customer-choice guidance.