From the Manager - October 2026

October is National Co-op Month, making it a fitting time to highlight one of the most important differences between Clay Electric Co-operative and an investor-owned utility: The people we serve are also the people who own the cooperative.

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, Clay Electric does not exist to generate profits for outside shareholders. When revenues exceed the cost of providing electric service, those margins are allocated back to our members as capital credits based on their patronage of the cooperative.

Those margins are not immediately returned. For a time, they remain invested in the cooperative, helping provide financial stability, maintain emergency reserves, make improvements to our electric system, and reduce the amount of money we otherwise have to borrow. When the cooperative’s financial condition permits, the board of directors retires capital credits and returns those funds to the members who originally provided them.

This year, Clay Electric will be retiring capital credits allocated in 1990, with checks expected to be mailed during November and December. Annual retirements depend on the cooperative’s financial condition and the needs of the electric system. In recent years, Clay Electric has worked to make progress on older allocations, at times retiring more than one year’s capital credits at a time.

Included in this month’s magazine is our non-deliverable capital credit list. These are former or current members for whom we need updated information so money owed to them can reach the right person. We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to look through the list. If you see your name, the name of a family member, friend, neighbor or someone whose current contact information you know, please contact our office at 618-662-2171.

Keeping your mailing information current with the cooperative is important even after you move away from Clay Electric’s service territory. Because many years can pass between the time capital credits are allocated and when they are retired, an outdated address can prevent a check from reaching its intended recipient. 

Capital credits are one of the most visible benefits of the cooperative business model. The margins generated by our members first help strengthen the cooperative they own, and when those funds are no longer needed for the cooperative’s financial and operational needs, they can be returned to those members.

October also means harvest time. Farmers are putting in long hours, and combines, tractors, grain trucks and other slow-moving equipment are sharing our rural roads. We ask everyone to be patient and give farm equipment plenty of room. Saving a few minutes on the road is never worth risking a serious accident.

For those working in the fields, remember to look up before moving combines, augers, grain-handling equipment or other tall machinery near overhead power lines. If equipment contacts a power line, stay inside the cab and call for help. Do not attempt to exit unless fire or another immediate danger makes staying inside unsafe.

Halloween will soon bring trick-or-treaters out along streets and rural roads as well. Drivers should slow down and be especially alert around dusk and after dark, when children may be difficult to see. Parents should make sure costumes and treat bags are easy for motorists to spot, and everyone should use extra caution around driveways, intersections and areas without sidewalks or streetlights.

At home, keep electrical safety in mind when decorating. Use lights and extension cords rated for outdoor use when decorating outside, keep electrical connections dry, and make sure cords do not create tripping hazards for visitors. Keep decorations, ladders and other equipment safely away from overhead power lines, transformers, meters and other electrical facilities.

In service to our members, our forestry crew will continue its important work clearing rights-of-way to improve reliability and public safety. Their work area remains the same as last month.

Don’t forget to search for your member number in the center section of this magazine. Three lucky numbers are hidden each month in Clay Electric News. If yours is there and you call us, you’ll earn a $5 credit on your next bill.

Thank you for being a valued member-owner of Clay Electric Co-operative. Please take a few minutes to review the non-deliverable capital credit list in this month’s magazine. A quick phone call may help us return capital credits to the member or family they belong to.