October marks National Cooperative Month, a time to reflect on the unique value cooperatives bring to the communities they serve. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, CORE Electric Cooperative’s mission is rooted in service, not profit. That’s what we like to call the co-op difference.

CORE was founded in 1938 by residents of the Bailey area who came together to power their homes and businesses. Today, we serve more than 160,000 voting members across Colorado, making us the largest electric cooperative in the state and one of the largest in the nation. Despite our growth, our commitment to local service remains unchanged. Our employees live and work in the same communities we serve, and we take pride in giving back through volunteer programs, educational initiatives, and partnerships with local nonprofits.

Being a cooperative means our members have a voice. They elect fellow members to serve on our Board of Directors, helping shape the policies that guide our operations. This democratic model ensures that CORE remains accountable to the people who matter most: our members.

It also means we operate differently than investor-owned utilities. As a not-for-profit, we reinvest margins into infrastructure improvements and return excess revenues to our members through capital credits. Just last month, we returned $12.25 million to our members, bringing our total over the past decade to over $120 million. These credits represent our members’ ownership share in CORE and reflect our commitment to transparency and fairness.

We’re also investing in the future. From enhancing grid resilience to securing a reliable and responsible power supply, CORE is working every day to meet the evolving needs of our members and communities.

This Cooperative Month, I invite you to learn more about CORE and the values that set us apart. We’re proud to be your local electric cooperative.

To learn more, visit www.CORE.coop.