About Us
Capital credits
What are capital credits?
Capital credits are your share of the cooperative’s margins. Per TEC’s bylaws, the board of directors determines the amount of retirement each year based on the financial condition of the cooperative.
It is important to know two things about capital credits in order to understand how they work:
Allocations
Each year, members are “allocated” their portion of the previous year’s profit based on the amount of electricity they purchase from TEC in relation to the total amount of electricity purchased by all members during the year. This amount is put into a “holding account” for a number of years and used by TEC to fund capital needs for items such as power line construction, transformers, inventory and other equipment. This is an underlying principle of the cooperative business model and is one more way we keep your electric rates as low as possible. This “allocation” becomes your equity in the cooperative and is maintained in a separate account assigned to you.
Retirement
This is what members get in cash at a later date. TEC uses the amount “allocated” to the member for a time, but then returns this amount to members in the form of “retirements,” which are actual “cash back” dollars to the member.
How are the capital credits returned?
In an effort to save on costs, TEC returns capital credits as a refund to members' electric accounts. Inactive members receive a check by mail in October for amounts over $20. If the refund is less that $20 the amount will remain on the account and be carried over to next year's retirement. If you move please call TEC to ensure your mailing address is up-to-date so future capital credits reach you.
Unclaimed capital credits- do we owe you?
In October 2011, Tri-County Electric Cooperative distributed $943,000.00 in patronage capital retirements to current and former members. Former members received their refund in the form of a check. Some of that money remains unclaimed as often members who are entitled to capital credits have moved and we have not received an updated address.
If you know any of the individuals listed below, please call our billing office toll free at 1-800-432-2285. You may also send an email to alofgren@tec.coop with the following information: the name in the listing and a current name if the name in the listing has changed. Include any contact information you might have for that individual along with your name and contact information. If the individual is deceased, please indicate that as well.
Austin, Tame —Winona, MN
Bashaw, Anita M. —La Crosse, WI
Blahnik, Julie—St. Charles, MN
Bowers, Becky, C/O Larry Bowers—Winona, MN
Bruce, Monty /Amanda—Grafton, IA
Burroughs, Joe /Jennifer—Houston, MN
Clements , David /Keri—Dakota, MN
Doering, Una M—La Crosse, WI
First Baptist Church, C/O David Johnson—Spring Valley, MN
Gannon, Kenneth E—Goodview, MN
Garrison, Yvonne B—Utica, MN
Gentry, Oenta—Medford, OR
Gilbertson, Darlene M—Austin, MN
Gramling, Michael L/Teresa L—Copperas Cove, TX
Guillaune, John—Caledonia, MN
Haase, Jeffrey W—Camp Douglas, WI
Hagedorn, Christy A—St. Charles, MN
Heim, Teresa—Rochester, MN
Hermanson, Duane R—Sparta, WI
Hornby, Teresa B—Calhan, CO
Huntoon, Jamie N—Rochester, MN
Ingram, Jami L—Winona, MN
Johnson, Craig W/Rochelle K—Eagan, MN
Johnson, Jeffrey A—Houston, MN
Johnson, Ross J—Hector, MN
Kelsey, Barbara—Houston, MN
King, Benjamin D—Winona, MN
Koch, Gary L/Christe J—Brownsville, MN
La Barge, Sylvia J—Fort Mill, SC
Larson, Brent G—Preston, MN
Long, David S/Deborah A—Fountain, MN
Lorenz, Steve/Shelly—La Crescent, MN
Mc Nally, Matthew A/Karrie—La Crescent, MN
Miller, Daniel W—Belleville, WI
Money Creek Hills, C/O Lowell E Johnson—Newport, MN
Moquin, Warren N, Amy L—Caledonia, MN
Nesler, Joseph B—Plainview, MN
Newton, Mary—Trempealeau, WI
Norman, Mark T, Annick Perrault—Montreal, Quebec Canada
Ohnstad, Kjerstin K—Two Rivers, WI
Olson, Bill C—Elgin, MN
Parmenter, Kenneth R—West Salem, WI
Payne, Jeanette—Dodge, WI
Peil, Rafael, Kristi—Winona, MN
Peterson, Andrew T, Susan M—Goodview, MN
Scanlan, Mildred D—Brownsville, MN
Schweigert Meat Co—Minneapolis, MN
Schott, Dale R, Cindy J Meyer—Foley, MN
Shold, Dawn A—St. Charles, MN
Siebenaler, Tara L—Winona, MN
Spelhaug, Mark—Fountain, MN
Struthers, Ivan—Altura, MN
Terry, Marc E—Brownsville, MN
Tichy, James M, Elizabeth—Chatfield, MN
Vaughn, Troy E—Winona, MN
Tri-State Outdoor Media Group—Tifton, GA
Walcker, Robert J, William F Coughlin, C/O Gerald Walcker—Onalaska, WI
Weinbender, Harold B—Bella Vista, AR
Wilson, Daniel, Theresa—La Crescent, MN
Wolfe, June E—New Auburn, WI
