01 Oct
October is National Cooperative Month, a time to celebrate the unique value cooperatives bring to their communities. CORE is proud to be a member-owned electric cooperative — meaning it’s not owned by investors or shareholders, but by you and your fellow members.
Joining your local electric cooperative — rather than investor-owned or municipal utilities — delivers meaningful value and benefits that begin the moment you become a member. These include:
Local
Community focus – CORE maintains a strong focus on community development and support. We offer programs and services that benefit the community, such as support for local businesses, educational grants and sponsorships of community events. 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.
Member-owned
Member ownership and local control – Members of an electric cooperative are also owners. This means members have a say in the cooperative’s decisions and policies, often through voting rights at annual meetings. Members within each district elect a fellow member to serve a four-year term on CORE’s Board of Directors and represent their interests in CORE business and policies. Information about this year’s elections can be found here.
Not-for-profit
Capital credits – Unlike investor-owned utilities that give their profits to shareholders, we return our profits (or margins) to members in the form of capital credits. In September 2025, we returned $12.25 million to members. Over the past decade, we’ve returned more than $120 million. Additional information on capital credits is available here.