October 15, 2026

AT CHEC

A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

More Than a Customer: What It Means to Be a Cooperative Member

When you receive your electric bill, it’s easy to think of yourself simply as a customer. But as a member of your electric cooperative, you’re something more—you’re a member-owner.

That’s one of the things that makes an electric cooperative different from an investor-owned utility. A cooperative isn’t owned by outside investors. It’s owned by the members it serves. Our purpose is simple: to provide safe, reliable and affordable electricity while serving the communities we call home.

And because you’re a member-owner, you have a voice in your cooperative. Through voting, attending annual meetings and participating in the cooperative, you have opportunities to help shape its future.

There’s also something special about being a local cooperative. The people who work here live in the same communities as you do. Our employees, families, friends and neighbors are your neighbors, too. When a storm rolls through, when new infrastructure is needed or when we’re planning for the years ahead, the decisions we make affect the communities we all call home. That local connection matters.

Another benefit of cooperative membership is capital credit. When the cooperative has margins remaining after covering the costs of providing electric service and meeting other financial obligations, those margins are allocated to members as capital credits. When approved for retirement, those credits are returned to eligible members. It’s one of the ways the cooperative model puts value created by the membership back into the membership.

Your cooperative is also continually investing in the electric system—from poles and power lines to equipment, technology and other infrastructure. These investments help us maintain a safe and dependable system today while preparing for the needs of tomorrow.

We’re also here to help you make informed decisions about your energy use. Whether it’s understanding demand, improving energy efficiency, managing your electric bill or learning about electrical safety, we want you to have the information you need to make the choices that are right for you.

But being a cooperative is about more than delivering electricity. It’s about being part of the communities we serve. Cooperatives have a long history of supporting the people and places that make rural communities special. Scholarships, youth programs, local organizations, community events and economic development efforts are just some of the ways we work to help our communities grow and thrive.

So, the next time you look at your electric bill, remember that you’re more than a customer. You’re a member-owner. You have a voice. You share in the cooperative’s success. And you’re part of something that belongs to you.

That’s the cooperative difference—and it’s something we’re proud to share with you.

Thank you for being a member!

General Manager/CEO
JULI ORME

Energy. Internet. Community. “It’s who we are.”

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