The Cooperative Difference
Electric cooperatives belong to the members they serve and focus on members' needs and local priorities. Members know they can trust their cooperative because it was created not to make profits, but to deliver on this promise: providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity. Here are some of the ways electric cooperatives are unique.
Meet Your Board of Directors
We are governed by a member-elected board of directors comprised of members like you. Directors serve a rotating three-year term and must live in the district they represent. While each director represents a geographic region, they are elected by the membership at large. Here are your Board of Directors (as pictures from left to right):
- District 1 - Jon Kroening
- District 6 - Art Friedrich
- District 4 - Tracy Lauritzen
- District 7 - Jeff Orth
- District 2 - Jodie Tvedt
- District 3 - John Winter
- District 5 - Jerry Wooner
To learn more about your Board of Directors, click here.
It Pays to Be a Member
As a member, you, not a group of private investors, benefit from any margins produced by the Cooperative by earning capital credits. Sometimes referred to as “patronage dividends” or “member equity,” capital credits are part of your investment in the Cooperative. Here’s how they work:
- PEC tracks the amount of electricity you buy throughout the year.
- At the end of the year, financial matters are settled to determine whether there is excess revenue, called “margins.”
- The Board allocates the margins to members as capital credits based on electricity they purchased during that year.
- When financial conditions permit, the Board of Directors retires (pays out) capital credits from prior years.
- PEC notifies you of how and when you’ll receive your capital credit retirements (generally paid out to members in October on your billing statement). Updating PEC with your contact information is key in continuing to receive these payments after you move.
To learn more about capital credits, click here.
Serving Your Neighbor
If you would like to learn more about any of our community engagement efforts, serve on one of our many committees or boards, or understand how you can engage at the Cooperative, please email memberrelations@peoplesenery.coop or call (800) 214-2694.
- Nominating Committee: Helps ensure the Board of Directors are elected from among the membership by seeking out and vetting board candidates to run for the Board of Directors each year.
- Operation Round Up Trust Board: Reviews and determines grant awards each quarter to local charities and non-profit organizations.
- Member Advisory Committee: Serves as a sounding board for the People's Energy Cooperative Board of Directors and management staff.
Serving our Communities
Electric cooperatives are located in the areas they serve, making them easily accessible and responsive to members' needs.
Operation Round Up
Operation Round Up is a community support program allowing members to “round up” their electric bills to the next highest dollar (the maximum amount contributed for a calendar year would be $11.88). The difference is placed into a trust fund and area non-profit organizations apply for grants from the fund. Grant applications are reviewed by a Board of Trustees, comprised of seven People’s Energy Cooperative members, and awarded on a quarterly basis.
Economic Development
Economic Development helps local business and organizations succeed. When local businesses and organizations succeed, the local economy improves and members reap the benefits. Your cooperative partners with businesses by assisting with low-interest loans and grants. We also partner with local and statewide economic development agencies to help our communities thrive.
Education Outreach
Education Outreach is an important aspect of our community involvement. We regularly visit classrooms throughout our service territory, encourage young people to job shadow our employees, and sponsor one high school junior or senior to attend The Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. We also fund high school scholarships to graduating high school seniors in our service territory with unclaimed capital credits. We invest in future generations because we see a bright future in them.