Manager's Message

At Central Electric, our mission has always been to provide safe, reliable, and affordable power to our members. As a not-for-profit cooperative, every decision we make is guided by our commitment to serve you, not shareholders. That’s why I want to take a moment to explain the next step we’re taking to ensure the financial health of our cooperative and the continued reliability of your electric service.

Beginning September 1, a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) will be added to your monthly bill. This adjustment $9.00 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) used—has become absolutely necessary and is a direct response to the rising cost of wholesale power. For a typical residential member using 1,400 kWh, this will result in an increase of approximately $13.48 per month.

The WPCA is not a new concept. In fact, we’ve used it in the past to return savings to members when wholesale power costs were lower than expected. Unfortunately, today’s energy market is experiencing unprecedented volatility. Older, lowercost power plants are being retired faster than new sources can come online, and while renewable energy is growing, it isn’t always available when demand is highest.

Electricity demand across the U.S. continues to grow, driven by factors like building and transportation electrification, data center expansion, and manufacturing growth. At the same time, supply has not kept pace. This imbalance between rising demand and flat or delayed supply is a key reason why utilities nationwide must rely on tools like the WPCA to manage costs and maintain reliable service.

The WPCA allows us to respond to these changes without permanently raising base rates at this time. It’s a flexible tool that ensures we can recover the actual cost of power while continuing to invest in the infrastructure and services that keep your lights on.

We understand that any increase in your bill is significant. That’s why we offer a variety of tools and programs to help you manage your energy use and costs, from free energy audits to rebates and daily usage monitoring through FlexPay. You can learn more about these resources at CEMCPower.com.

We also want to emphasize that the WPCA adjustment will be reviewed regularly by our management team and Board of Directors. As market conditions stabilize, we will adjust the WPCA accordingly. Our goal is always to keep your rates as low as possible while maintaining the high level of service you expect and deserve.

Thank you for your continued trust and support. We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and doing everything we can to keep your power reliable and affordable.

Until next time,