JCE Co-op is a local, community-focused cooperative, founded to bring energy to our area. Any excess revenue - or margins - remaining after all expenses have been paid are returned to members through what we call “capital credits”. As a not-for-profit cooperative, we operate at cost. Margins are allocated, invested and retired-on a 25-year cycle.

Capital credits represent members' ownership in the cooperative. It is one of our founding principles: Members Economic Participation. JCE Co-op utilizes a hybrid method of retiring capital credits. 
 

The Cycle of Capital Credits

How Your Cooperative Invests in Today to Power Tomorrow—and Rewards the Past

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Member Patronage

You use electricity and/or natural gas from your co-op throughout the year.

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Margins Are Allocated

At year-end, any margins (revenue over expenses) are allocated to members based on their patronage—what they paid for electricity and/or natural gas during the year.

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Re-Invested in our Cooperative

Your allocated capital credits (margins) are re-invested in the co-op to fund capital projects, improve reliability and maintain our infrastructure. This strengthens the system for all members.

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Your Capital Credits Are Always Yours

Each year, 5% of your held capital credits are scheduled for payment at a discounted rate. Timing of payments may vary based on cooperative financial needs — but every dollar allocated to you remains on the books and will be paid.

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Balance Retired at Year 25

At the end of 25 years, the remaining balance from that year is retired (paid in full) to you. Retirement schedules are determined annually by the board based on the cooperative's financial position. Delays are rare, but when they occur, your balance is protected and the obligation remains.

Your Margins at Work

  • Build and upgrade power lines and natural gas pipelines

  • Improve substations and equipment

  • Enhance reliability and safety

  • Maintain and modernize infrastructure


Every Member. Every Dollar.

By paying 5% on unretired capital credits and retiring the balance in full at year 25, all members―new and long-time―see the power of cooperative membership! For 88 years, our approach to capital credits has remained the same. Each generation of members helps invest in the co-op's future, and 25 years later, those margins are returned to the members who helped build that success.
 

Our Proven Model for 88 Years

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Today's Members Build Tomorrow

Members earn capital credit margins through their utility use of the cooperative.

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Powering the Future

Those margins stay invested for about 25 years to help maintain and improve the electric and/or natural gas systems.

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Receiving the Return

After 25 years, those capital credits are retired and paid back to the members who earned them.

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A Cooperative Cycle

Each generation of members helps support the next, keeping the cooperative strong while returning value to past members.


Unclaimed Capital Credits

JCE Co-op mails capital credit checks in December, and, over the years, several have been returned as undeliverable. We are unable to contact these former members without a valid address on file.

You can help us locate these members so we can return their capital credits by taking a few minutes to scan the lists of members who have unclaimed capital credits. You may view the list sorted by name or by town.

The lists appear in PDF format. To search the lists:

  • Click the link and it will open in your web browser

  • Press CTRL+F (Windows) or CMD+F (MAC)

  • In the search box, enter a name (We suggest searching by last name first)

  • The first match will be highlighted in the document

  • Press Enter or click the right arrow to navigate to the next result.

If you find your name on the list, please call 800-858-5522 or email info@jcecoop.com. If you know the whereabouts of anyone listed, please let us know or contact them and have them reach out to us.