LPEA retires $5.3 million in capital credits to members
LPEA retires $5.3 million in capital credits to members
Date Published

LPEA retires $5.3 million in capital credits to members

Funds to be distributed as bill credits or mailed as checks during November billing cycle

 

DURANGO, Colo. – Archuleta and La Plata county businesses and residents who have paid their electric bills to La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) since at least 2017, will receive capital credits retirements totaling $5,300,000 during the November billing cycle.

 

The LPEA Board of Directors, at the regular October board meeting, approved the retirement, with the majority of the capital credits (also known as patronage capital) to be credited to electricity bills – though any refund amounts larger than $100 will be mailed as checks beginning Nov. 1, 2018.

 

“Capital credits represent our member’s investment in La Plata Electric Association,” said Mike Dreyspring, LPEA CEO, noting that LPEA is a not-for-profit corporation with a 501 (c)(12) tax designation. “As part of that tax designation, which establishes us as a cooperative, we are required to allocate margins in the form of capital credits to our members as annually determined by our board of directors. Retiring capital credits to our members is one of the many things that make electric cooperatives unique.”

 

Since incorporation in 1939, LPEA has retired nearly $70 million to its members.

 

This year, LPEA has the additional benefit within the distribution of passing on retired capital credits from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, as Tri-State is a cooperative, with LPEA one of its 43 members.

 

“We have received $2 million from Tri-State that we are directly passing on to our members as part of this distribution,” said Dennis Svanes, LPEA CFO. “The distribution will be a FIFO (first-in, first-out), so those who were members in 1995 and 1996 will get the extra retirement.”

 

Capital credits are essentially the margins or revenues remaining after all expenses have been paid, according to Svanes. Annually, the electricity payments made by members in excess of the cost to provide their electric service is placed into a patronage capital account in each member’s name. This capital, along with borrowed funds, is used to finance needed improvements to LPEA’s system infrastructure.

 

“In other words,” said Svanes. “LPEA invests the margins earned by each owner back into our system. It helps build members’ equity and reduces the amount of money LPEA has to borrow – so it reduces interest charges we’d have to otherwise pay. The margins allow LPEA to maintain system reliability at its highest level and help keep rates lower.”

 

Annually, should the patronage capital account reach a level in excess of the amount LPEA needs to maintain the system, the LPEA Board of Directors retires, or gives back, a percentage of the funds. For 2018, LPEA is retiring $2,475,000 in capital credits earned in 1997 and 1998 (on a first-in, first-out FIFO basis), as well as $825,000 on a percentage basis (approximately 1.34 percent) from years 1998 through 2017. Thus, anyone with an established LPEA account in 2017 or prior will receive funds in proportion to that member’s contribution to LPEA’s margins.

 

Annually, LPEA endeavors to find those members who have moved out of the service territory, as they are still eligible to receive retired capital credits from previous years. Members are asked to change or report new addresses to ensure receipt of capital credits.

 

LPEA, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative established in 1939, provides to its more than 30,000 members, with in excess of 43,000 meters, safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost, while being environmentally responsible. For additional information, contact LPEA at 970.247.5786 or visit www.lpea.coop.