Significant increases in the energy market and transmission costs are affecting utilities across the country; your cooperative is no different. To ensure the financial stability of the cooperative, the board voted in November to raise rates Jan. 1, 2026.
For the past few years, the cooperative has done all it can to keep rate increases minimal. Its ability to do so was due to a long-term transmission contract that has ended and the cooperative’s part ownership through Allegheny Electric Cooperative in the Susquehanna Steam Electric Plant nuclear power generation. Unfortunately, the increase in electricity demand and higher transmission costs, this year’s increase is larger than average cooperative rate adjustments. For the average residential member-owner who uses 1,250 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per month, this will amount to $23.75 a month. This adjustment could be higher or lower individually, depending on your electric usage and rate classification with the cooperative.
Even with this rate adjustment, the co-op’s rates are comparable to or below other neighboring utilities. Members are encouraged to consider how they may be able to help control their own energy expenses. We offer tips for saving energy on our website, adamsec.coop, and we can also provide printed resources on energy efficiency incentives and money-saving programs, like U-Shift, U-$ave. Learn more about the revamped U-Shift program.
The changes will first appear on your billing statement received in February and include an increase in energy supply. While you may notice adjustments on the distribution side of the bill, these changes will net to zero for members served on the standard residential rate class (RES01).
The energy supply is the cost for electricity being generated, or purchased, and delivered to the cooperative. This is directly passed through to the membership with no mark-up. This per kilowatt hour charge is increasing to 10.7 cents per kilowatt hour.
The wholesale power cost adjustment (WPCA), which the co-op uses each year to re-balance the over or under collection of energy charges for the previous year’s billed amount will remain the same at 0.1 cents per kWh, per month.
The distribution side correlates to the cost of delivering electricity from the co-op to each member home or business in addition to the cost of maintaining reliable poles, wires, and equipment. The monthly service connection (previously referred to as access charge) will increase by $1 per month for members served on the standard residential rate class (RES01). This reflects the equipment cost that the co-op incurs to maintain your electric connection to the power system, regardless of how much electricity you use regularly. The per-kWh charge will stay the same as last year at 3.3 cents per month. The storm reserve is being decreased to 25 cents per month for all accounts.
We understand this is not the rate increase members were hoping for, but we will continue to work hard to keep future rate increases to a minimum.
