Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative’s 88th Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
More information, including financials, is available below. Please give our office a call with any questions. Thanks for being a member of your community cooperative!
We are pleased to report another positive year for Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative, highlighted by strong financial performance, continued capital credit retirements, and ongoing investment in safe, affordable, and reliable service for our members.
Because of the cooperative’s solid financial position, last December your board approved the retirement of $603,447 in patronage capital, consisting of the remainder of 2005 allocations and 15% of 2024 allocations to current and former members. This marked Tricounty’s 48th consecutive general
retirement of capital credits.
In addition, $219,658 was paid to deceased member estates during the year. Including the $823,105
returned this past year, Tricounty has returned more than $23.4 million in capital credits to our member-consumers, with capital credit retirements as a share of total equity ranking in the top 5% nationally.
The total assets of your cooperative now exceed $26.6 million. We continue to build line extensions, install new services, and rebuild older lines. Our right-of-way (tree trimming) maintenance program helps prevent power outages and reduces damage to our overhead lines during storms.
Tricounty’s 89th annual meeting materials, including District 2 and District 3 director election results, management reports, and auditor reports, will be posted to Tricounty’s website (www. tricountyelectriccoop.coop) on September 16. Members may review the reports online at their convenience.
If you have questions as you review the accompanying financial data or online reports, please contact us.
With annual reports now posted online and in the magazine, the board and staff were available to answer member questions at this year’s Member Appreciation Day at Sauder Historic Village on Saturday, July 18. Nearly 500 members and guests attended, and we thank everyone who helped make the day a success.
Tricounty’s primary objectives are to provide SAFE, AFFORDABLE, and RELIABLE electricity to
our members.
Safety: The safety of our members, employees, and community
remains our highest priority. The cooperative continues to conduct
monthly safety training, provide high-voltage safety training for local fire departments, and share safety tips in Ohio Cooperative Living magazine. Tricounty had no lost-time accidents or injuries this past year, and our goal remains to keep our communities and members aware of the dangers associated with electricity.
Affordability: One of the most important responsibilities of your cooperative trustees and management is determining the rates charged to members. We work to provide reliable electric service at affordable rates while maintaining Tricounty as a financially secure business now and in the future.
Rising material costs and wholesale power costs will continue to create pressure, but we remain focused on financial stability, system maintenance, consistent service, and capital credit refunds.
Tricounty remains one of the lowest-cost cooperatives in the state, and we will continue working to maintain the quality of service our members expect.
Reliability: Tricounty continues to invest in maintenance and capital improvements to provide members with the reliable power they expect. We continue to rebuild aging lines, trim trees, and
improve our system.
In August, we began constructing an additional three-phase circuit between the Maroe and McClure substations at an estimated cost of $2.5 million. This project will complete a loop and provide
redundancy between two major substations serving the south half of our system.
Looking ahead, the largest reliability challenge is capacity. Baseload generation plants continue to close while electricity demand grows from broader development, artificial intelligence, and data centers. Tricounty is advocating for data centers to pay the costs associated with their loads and grid impacts, not our members.
Community: One of the Seven Principles is “Concern for Community,” and Tricounty remains committed to supporting our communities and future leaders. In 2025, Tricounty provided 15 scholarships totaling $6,250 to area students. Children of Members Scholarship recipients were Kenna Rosengarten, Elliana Dishong, Lani Rosebrook, Ryli Rohrs, Stella Fifer, Stone Roth, Issac
Aderman, Zoe Beman, Priscilla Bloomer, Tyler McDougle, Ashlyn Mullins, Brian Scherdt, Carson Schroeder, Kelsey Schwiebert, and Aiden Wagner.
Closing: Your cooperative remains committed to providing members with safe, reliable, and affordable electricity. We are excited about the projects, programs, and services designed to
enhance quality of life for our members, and we will continue to put safety first while providing excellent service. Your board of trustees and employees appreciate your cooperation and support throughout the past year.
