At GCEA, we’re powered by people, not profits. Unlike investor-owned utilities, we don’t serve outside shareholders. We serve you, our members. That’s the cooperative difference.
Because the members we serve are also the owners of GCEA, every decision we make is focused on strengthening our local communities. Instead of sending profits elsewhere, we reinvest margins back into the cooperative to improve reliability, support innovation, and build a stronger energy future for all of us.
And when finances allow, we’re able to share the success of the cooperative directly with our members by returning a portion of those margins through capital credits.
WHAT ARE CAPITAL CREDITS?
Capital credits, also called patronage capital, represent your ownership equity in GCEA. As a cost-based organization, GCEA operates with the goal of covering expenses, not generating profits. When revenues exceed operating costs, the remaining funds are recognized as margins. Each year, a portion of those margins is allocated to members based on the amount of electricity they purchased during that year.
At GCEA, capital credits are typically retired on approximately a 24-year cycle. Returning patronage capital over time helps ensure the cooperative remains financially strong while fulfilling our commitment to share the success of the co-op with our members.
We like to think of it as your “piece of the pie.”
A FASTER WAY TO ACCESS YOUR CAPITAL CREDITS
The Capital Credit Certificate Program gives members the option to cash out a portion of their capital credits early. Each year, members receive a certificate showing their share of the co-op’s margins from the previous year.
REDEEM YOUR CERTIFICATE YOUR WAY
Members who participate in the program can choose how to redeem their certificate:
• Apply it as a credit on their electric bill
• Receive payment by check
• Donate it to support the GCEA Care for Community Fund
Patronage Capital Certificates are mailed mid-year each year, so keep an eye on your mailbox and don’t miss your chance to claim your piece of the pie.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP
Want to learn more about the Capital Credit Program? Our member support specialists are happy to help answer your questions, explain how the program works, and help you understand your options.
Thank you for being a member of GCEA and for investing in your local cooperative.
MOVING? KEEP YOUR INFORMATION UPDATED
Even if you no longer receive electric service from GCEA, you may still receive future capital credit retirements. Be sure to keep your mailing address and contact information up to date.
Logann Long is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Gunnison County Electric Association.
