As a member of Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, you are also an owner of the cooperative (hence, OTEC member-owners). So rather than earning profits, OTEC invests a portion of that money toward strengthening the operations that power your life and assigns the rest to you. These funds are called capital credits.
Each year, the OTEC Board of Directors determines what portion of capital credits can be returned to our membership. Capital credits, which are based on the dollar amount of electricity each member purchases, vary from member to member and year to year.
2025 Capital Credits Information
The OTEC Board of Directors approved the retirement of $3 million in capital credits to OTEC member-owners as part of the co-op’s capital credits program. Since OTEC first began issuing capital credits in 1996, we have returned $61 million in total refunds to our member-owners.
Capital credits represent each member-owner’s share of OTEC’s margins (revenues) earned during the year. Each year, after operating expenses have been paid, the remaining margins are allocated to the member’s capital credit account based on their billed amount from previous years.
Member-owners with accounts in good standing will receive their Capital Credit refunds in the form of a check or bill credit by the end of 2025.