Ringing in a new year sparks a sense of renewed hope and optimism about the future. As the general manager of Clarke Electric Cooperative, for me, it’s a time to reflect on where we are and where we’re going. At the heart of this reflection, I think about ways we can better serve you, our members.

Our team at Clarke Electric Cooperative is always looking ahead, exploring ways to innovate and utilize new technologies to improve our services. As our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power the economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important. We’re committed to powering––and empowering––our community at a cost local families and businesses can afford.

While no one wants to hear that expenses are rising, we are faced with it. Like you, our cooperative has had many operating increases which has negatively impacted our budget. We have trimmed expenses without sacrificing a safe and reliable service, but after looking at our Cost of Service Study, it is evident that we will likely implement a rate increase in the spring of 2025.

The Cost of Service Study helps Clarke Electric balance the costs of providing service to each rate class. It is important that we designate like users in classes that adequately capture the cost of providing service to each class. The cost of power, the poles and wires and administrative support are included in our rates. It sounds simple, but it is anything but. Many state and federal regulations affect the cost of doing business which are also wrapped into our rates.

Although any rate increase is not something anyone wants to hear, we feel confident that our rates are still in line with other providers. The cost of electricity is still a great value for what electricity provides to you, especially in comparison to other commodities that have skyrocketed.

So how do we ensure reliable and affordable power?

One large component of reliable power is the mix of energy resources used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on across our eight-county service territory. You may not realize it, but Clarke Electric Cooperative doesn’t generate electricity.

Instead, we purchase it from our energy provider, Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), and from there, we distribute it to homes and businesses throughout our rural communities.

We’re gradually using more electricity generated from renewable energy sources, but we still depend on a diverse energy mix to ensure reliable power that’s available to our members whenever they need it.

Clarke Electric Cooperative uses technology to enhance our local grid and limit service disruptions while improving outage response times and communications with our members.

\Advanced metering technology (AMI) enables two-way communication between the co-op and consumers. AMI helps pinpoint the exact location of an outage and can even analyze damaged or tampered meters. AMI saves Clarke Electric Cooperative money with real-time data, allowing us to act proactively. This will ultimately improve power reliability for our rural communities.

Proactive tree trimming is another way we limit service disruptions. Scheduled trimming keeps power lines clear from overgrown limbs that are likely to fall.

One of the best ways to improve our services to you is by monitoring trends and leading practices from other electric co- ops in Iowa and across the country. Learning from other co-ops is one of the many benefits of the cooperative business model because, for us, it’s about cooperation, not competition.

As we turn our focus to 2025, Clarke Electric Cooperative will continue working to provide the reliable, affordable electricity you expect and deserve––for today and tomorrow.

In the next months, we will provide you with more detailed rate information, as our plans become more formalized.