A Message About Electric Rates

The short version:
We are adjusting electric rates to address rising costs in wholesale power, while working every day to keep bills as low as possible and continue providing the safe and reliable service you depend on.

As CEO of your electric cooperative, I believe in being open and straightforward about decisions that affect our members. Rate adjustments are never taken lightly, especially when many families and businesses are already feeling financial pressure.

What’s changing and why:
Electric rates will increase on average 6.1% in April to help offset rising costs to provide reliable energy.

We know no one wants to see higher electric bills, and we understand the impact this can have on our members and communities.

This increase is due to factors outside our control—like rising costs to maintain transmission infrastructure, higher prices for materials and labor, and ongoing investments needed in wholesale power generation and transmission

We want you to understand what goes into your bill and why these changes are necessary.

• Wholesale power generation and transmission make up nearly 70% of our total costs, so changes have a big impact
• Depreciation, interest and taxes make up more than 12% of our total costs.
• The remaining 18% includes maintenance and repairs, system upgrades, insurance, members services and resources, billing, operating margins and the people behind your power.

This transparency is part of how we honor our responsibility to you as a member-owned cooperative.

Our approach to cost control:
We are focused on increasing efficiency throughout our organization and managing costs in our operations. Our team continues to do its due diligence to find quality products and materials at the best value and extend the productive life of equipment when it is safe and cost-effective.

Why reliability matters:
You count on us every day for the electricity you need. This means we need continued investment in our electric distribution system to help prevent outages, build and maintain system infrastructure, and avoid higher costs down the road.

What hasn’t changed:
We remain a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative committed to transparency, responsible financial stewardship, and providing the service you expect.

• The monthly access charge, demand charge and the off-peak energy rate will remain unchanged.,

The bottom line:
This rate adjustment reflects the minimum increase needed to balance reliability, efficiency, and careful management of your cooperative’s resources.

We want you to know that we are here to help. If you’re looking for ways to manage your energy use our team can provide tips, programs, and resources to make your home or business more energy efficient.

Thank you for the trust you place in us. We take our responsibility to serve you seriously and will continue working hard to deliver reliable power at the lowest possible cost.