Electricity is something we’ve all come to rely on to make our lives better. At Cuivre River Electric Cooperative (CREC), we understand the importance of delivering power to you, our members, safely and reliably.

It’s nearly impossible to read the news today without seeing a mention of the future of the nation’s power grid, or the possibility of rolling blackouts. Energy policy around the country is moving too far and too fast and is creating risks to the reliability of the grid that we all rely on to provide electricity to live our lives. Part of CREC’s mission is to provide “reliable service” to our members. We are concerned that if the nation continues down the path of shuttering base load generation facilities too quickly, rolling blackouts will become a question of “when” and not “if.” The combination of greater demand for electricity from electric vehicles, data centers, artificial intelligence, and housing growth, with the closing of many generation facilities across the country, puts us on a collision course toward unreliable power. Electric reliability is more at risk now than ever before.

CREC is working closely with our generation cooperative, Associated Electric Cooperative, to do all we can to keep reliability at the forefront. Two new “peaking plants” are currently slated for construction with plans to be online in 2026. These plants will add over 800 MW of much-needed capacity for cooperative members. CREC realizes that “keeping the lights on” is not only for convenience but also for safety and living our modern lives.

As important as reliability is, it comes with a cost. For many years, CREC was able to hold rates steady as many other items in the economy increased. CREC’s cost of power is nearly 70% of our total costs. As the cost to generate power continues to increase, these costs will be passed to CREC. The cost of the new generation facilities will be over $1 billion. These costs are passed on to member cooperatives, including CREC. In addition to the construction of new generation facilities, other costs to generate power are also increasing, including transportation, fuel, supplies, and compliance regulations. All of these costs combined result in CREC facing significant power cost increases in the coming years.

CREC has, and always will do everything possible to limit the impact of these increases to you, our members. The cost of electricity in Missouri continues to be among the lowest in the country. CREC continues to be one of the lowest-cost
electricity providers in the state. As power costs increase nationwide, we will continue our mission to provide power “at the lowest possible cost.” Even with these challenges, CREC will continue to focus on members. CREC has given back over $35 million in capital credits to our members in just the past five years. Our Operation Round Up program continues to provide grants to individuals and organizations in the community. Our Cuivre Cares Program, comprised of
CREC employees continue supporting local charities.

These attributes, as well as others, make up the cooperative difference. We are confident that even in challenging times, CREC will continue to provide our members with the quality service they deserve. On behalf of the Board of Directors and CREC employees, we thank you for your continued support and membership with CREC. It is truly our pleasure to serve you.

Diane Saale, Board Chairman
Doug Tracy, President/CEO