Local. Member-owned. Not-for-profit.
In August 2023, we celebrated 85 years of “keeping the lights on” for homes and businesses along the Front Range. CORE was established as a cooperative and remains one to this day, and the relationship we have with you, our members, is unlike that offered by investor-owned, municipal and other types of utilities. We like to call this “the co-op difference.”
Local.
Founded in 1938 by residents in the Bailey area, CORE has grown to serve more than 160,000 voting members, which makes us the largest electric cooperative in Colorado and one of the largest in the nation. Yet we still operate locally, and our employees live and work in the same communities we serve.
Through CORE’s volunteer program, employees spend a workday supporting local nonprofits and charities. We also partner with community programs, businesses and organizations to give back in meaningful ways. Initiatives like our Electrical Safety Poster Contest and Education Grants directly benefit local youth.
As your local cooperative, we’re committed to delivering reliable electricity and responding quickly during outages. We invest in our grid to enhance system resilience and work to ensure an efficient and responsible power supply.
Member-owned.
You have a voice in how we operate, including the opportunity to elect a fellow member to represent your district on CORE’s Board of Directors. Each board member serves a four-year term and helps shape the policies that guide our cooperative.
No other utility model offers such a direct connection between the organization and the people it serves. Learn more about our Board of Directors at www.CORE.coop > My Cooperative > Leadership.
Not-for-profit.
As a not-for-profit cooperative, we reinvest margins back into our infrastructure and raise rates only when absolutely necessary. We also return capital credits to members whenever possible. In September 2025, we returned $12.25 million in capital credits to our members. Over the past decade, we’ve returned more than $120 million.
Each year, we calculate our operating margin — the difference between revenues and expenses — and allocate it to members based on their electricity use. When the board approves a retirement of these allocations, eligible members receive a check or bill credit. The amount depends on how long you’ve been a member and how much electricity you used during the retired years.
Capital credits represent your ownership share in CORE. They’re tracked in a separate account and accumulate over time. Learn more at www.CORE.coop > My Account > Capital Credits.
We look forward to continuing to provide reliable service at affordable rates.