As a cooperative, we exist to serve our members like you, but I like to think of it this way: The cooperative is our members. The funds we collect to operate the business don’t come from Wall Street — they come from the end-of-line consumers who rely on our service every day. That’s why one of the cooperative principles is Concern for Community. That’s why cooperatives give back to their communities, and so this month, I want to talk about giving back.
Giving back through Operation Round Up
First and foremost, we are highlighting throughout this issue how you give back directly to the communities we serve — your participation in Operation Round Up. Eighty-seven percent of our members voluntarily participate, rounding up their bills to the nearest dollar. If you are one of those members, it’s your less-than-a-dollar monthly contribution that is funding the scholarships for the 131 high school students featured in this issue. When I meet these students at our spring member meetings and learn about their future plans in these pages each year, I’m always inspired by our members’ generosity. Thank you for making our scholarship program a reality.
Giving back through capital credits
Each member’s April bill included a statement detailing their 2025 capital credit allocation. If you’ve been a member for 20 years or more, you may recall in previous years a capital credit retirement that was applied to your June or July bill, often substantially reducing the balance due. If you have been a member for less than 20 years, you might not be as familiar with how these funds are handled and eventually returned to you. In 2026, for longtime members, your June bill will reflect a credit for your share of a record-setting $16 million capital credit retirement authorized by your trustees, from money allocated through your payments in 2005. This is a major benefit of being served by an electric cooperative — as financial conditions allow, we return your share of the funds leftover to you after we’ve fulfilled our financial obligations.
Giving back through generation savings
Capital credit retirements typically occur every year, but special situations arise and generate cost savings for you as a cooperative member. We are experiencing such a situation this year, as our power generation cooperative, Buckeye Power, is issuing refunds to us due to lower-than-expected costs to generate power. You’ll see your share of a $13 million refund reflected in the generation line item of your bill, primarily during the months of June and July, but continuing with a more modest impact for an additional six months or longer.
Thank you for being a member
Nothing we do — in the community, in our offices, or out in the field — would be possible without you, our members. Your support is what allows us to serve and to give back. We’re committed to strengthening the communities we call home because they belong to you and they belong to us. Thank you for the opportunity to be your service provider.
Rick Lemonds
President & CEO