Darke County, Ohio Electric Utilities & Business Choice
Who provides electricity in Darke County?
Darke County is split among two investor-owned utilities: AES Ohio serves the largest share, with AEP Ohio serving other areas. Three electric cooperatives also serve rural parts of the county. Municipal electric systems operate in Arcanum and Versailles. Businesses on an investor-owned utility can choose a PUCO-certified generation supplier; co-op members and municipal-system customers generally cannot. Darke County is in southwest Ohio, with its county seat in Greenville and 51,881 residents (2020 Census).
| Provider | Type | Can businesses choose a supplier? |
|---|---|---|
| AES Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| AEP Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Darke Rural Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Midwest Electric | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Pioneer Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Arcanum | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
| Versailles | 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 Darke County
| Utility | Small-business default generation price | Period |
|---|---|---|
| AES Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.86¢ | June 2026 – May 2027 annual average |
| AEP Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.97¢ | July 1 – Sept 30, 2026 |
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 Darke County
- Split the bid by utility. Suppliers price AES Ohio and AEP 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.
Darke 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Miami County | Troy (23 mi from Greenville) | AES Ohio |
| Preble County | Eaton (25 mi from Greenville) | AES Ohio and Duke Energy Ohio |
| Shelby County | Sidney (28 mi from Greenville) | AES Ohio |
| Mercer County | Celina (31 mi from Greenville) | AES Ohio |
City guides in Darke County
- Greenville — AES Ohio
FAQ: Darke County electricity
What electric companies serve Darke County, Ohio?
AES Ohio, AEP Ohio, Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, Midwest Electric, Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Arcanum, and Versailles.
Can businesses in Darke County choose an electricity supplier?
Yes, if the account is on AES Ohio or AEP Ohio. Cooperative members and municipal-system customers generally cannot.
Which utility serves Greenville, the county seat?
AES Ohio. See the Greenville guide.
How do I know which utility serves my Darke 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 Darke County
Use a meter schedule rather than one county-wide assumption
Darke County is in southwest Ohio and its county seat is Greenville. 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.
| Local guide | Starting utility context | Enrollment check |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville | AES Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
The existing county inventory identifies cooperative context including Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, Midwest Electric, Pioneer Electric Cooperative and municipal context including Arcanum, Versailles. 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.