Capital Credits

When you pay your bill each month, you are contributing to the equity, or your share of ownership, of the cooperative.

Capital credits are unique to the cooperative business model. Unlike other types of companies, CCEC and other cooperatives do not have shareholders who expect to make money from the company’s profits. We are not-for-profit businesses that exist solely to provide electric service to our members.

The funds allocated to each member’s account are used to fund capital needs for items such as power line construction, transformers, trucks, inventory, and other equipment. Capital credits also help keep rates at an affordable level by reducing the amount of funds the co-op borrows to maintain and grow its electric distribution system.

If you have an active account, you will see a credit on your bill when a capital credit retirement takes place. Checks are mailed to those who are no longer served by the cooperative. Capital Credits are also paid to the estates of deceased members in the form of a present valued lump sum payout.

If you move from our service area, the Capital Credits accumulated in your account will remain in your name. It is important that you keep the cooperative informed of your current address so that we can send you a refund when a Capital Credit retirement is made.

Use our Update My Account form to report a change in your primary contact information.

Each year, former cooperative members leave money behind when they don’t give us their forwarding addresses. That money is their share of Capital Credits allocated to their account when they were co-op members.

If you move from our service area, the capital credits accumulated in your account remain in your name. That's why it's important to give us a current address anytime you move so we can send you a refund when Capital Credits are retired.

After 3 years, any unclaimed funds go to the state. Over the past 6 years, the cooperative has handed over more than $860,000 in unclaimed Capital Credits to the Department of the State Treasurer.

To see if you or someone you know has unclaimed funds, use our search tool.

To update your address and claim any unclaimed Capital Credits, fill out the Unclaimed Capital Credits form online.

To request a deceased member's capital credits, download and complete the Request for Deceased Member's Capital Credits (PDF) form and return it to the co-op.

We will contact you to verify the information or if we need more information to process your request.