October 2025 Board Meeting

SDCEA board of directors meeting October 22, 2025

Rate Change: Increases to SDCEA rates were approved by the SDCEA Board of Directors to go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. The new rates will appear on bills received in February for January’s electric usage.

For a complete list of SDCEA’s updated rates and policies, please visit this link: Bylaws, Rates & Policies – Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Inc.

For SDCEA’s residential rate payers (Rate 101), the Service Availability Charge will increase $3.85 per month and SDCEA’s energy charge will increase from 0.13485 to 0.14370 per kWh with the change.

The board opted not to raise the wildfire mitigation rate rider. It will remain at $8 per month in 2026.

The increases are due to rising infrastructure and operations costs, as well as increased costs in purchasing wholesale energy.

Annual Meeting – The SDCEA annual meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. June 24, 2026, at the SDCEA warehouse in Westcliffe. All members are welcome to attend. Activities and a meal will be planned with the meeting. An abbreviated regular SDCEA Board Meeting will also be held.

Capital Credits – As a not-for-profit cooperative, SDCEA allocates any margins (profits) each year to members in the form of capital credits. These credits represent your ownership share in the cooperative. When SDCEA financial position allows, we return these credits to the members.

The board approved a general capital credit retirement of $269,000 paying back part of the member equity from 1998 and 2005. Half of the general retirement is a pass through of SDCEA’s wholesale power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s 2024 general retirement. Active members will see a credit on the bill they receive in December. Qualifying inactive members will receive a check in December if their retirement total is over $20.

When members receive bill credits or refund checks for capital credits, it might seem puzzling to see a rate increase in the same year. However, these refunds are distributed to members as a return on past investments and the debt used to fund the poles, wires, and infrastructure from the years the credits cover. Current rates, on the other hand, are set to support the investments needed for the system today.

Management report – CEO Jon Beyer shared the third quarter company scorecard, highlighted upcoming meetings, provided updates on construction work plan projects, and discussed community outreach events, including a planned rate workshop at noon, Nov. 13 in Westcliffe at Cliff Lanes. CFO Sarah Crites presented the cooperative’s financial report for the month.

Executive session – The board adjourned into an executive session at 3:10 p.m. to discuss matters to be held in confidence. The meeting was reconvened and then adjourned at 4 p.m. No action was taken after executive session.

Next board meetings – The next regular meeting will take place Nov. 21 in the SDCEA Board Room, Buena Vista. The December 17 meeting will be held in Westcliffe at the Westcliffe warehouse. 2026 scheduled meetings will be determined at the November board meeting.

Agendas are posted 10 days in advance on SDCEA’s website: Board Meeting Agendas & Minutes – Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Inc.