In The News – August 2026

As your cooperative, we're committed to doing what's in the best interest of our members. That means providing reliable service, keeping rates as affordable as possible, and making smart investments to ensure our electric system is ready for the future.

Those goals have never changed, but they have become more challenging.

If you've received a Peak Alert from us this summer (or even in the cold of winter), you may have wondered why we're asking members to reduce electricity use for a few hours during the late afternoon or early evening.

The answer is simple. It isn't because we're running out of electricity. It's because those are the hours when electricity is often the most expensive for us to purchase.

Think about it like booking a hotel room during a holiday weekend. The room itself hasn't changed, but because everyone wants it at the same time, the price goes up. Electricity works much the same way.

When temperatures climb and millions of air conditioners across the Midwest are running at once, utilities throughout the region are all purchasing additional electricity. As demand increases, so does the wholesale price of power.

That's why we occasionally ask members to delay running the dishwasher, clothes dryer, or other large appliances until later in the evening. When thousands of members make small changes for just a few hours, it helps reduce the overall cost of purchasing electricity—and those savings benefit every member.

What many people don't see is what happens behind the scenes. Like every business, your cooperative has experienced significant increases in the cost of purchasing electricity, maintaining our electric system, and replacing the equipment needed to keep power flowing.

It would be easy to pass rising costs directly on to our members—but that's not how we operate. As a member-owned cooperative, we carefully manage our finances and absorb as much of those increases as we responsibly can before asking members to pay more.

The chart on this page tells that story. While the cost of purchasing wholesale electricity has increased dramatically over the years, we've worked hard to keep member rate increases much lower through careful planning, efficient operations, and responsible financial management.

We know every dollar matters. We also have a responsibility to maintain a safe, reliable electric system by replacing aging infrastructure, responding to storms, and investing in the equipment needed to serve our members for years to come.

We've been able to keep our margins tight and avoid significant rate increases for many years, but rising costs continue to put pressure on our cooperative. While we will continue looking for every opportunity to operate efficiently, control costs, and make decisions that are in the best interest of our members, there may come a time when a rate adjustment is necessary to ensure we can continue providing the reliable service you depend on.

Because we're part of the Great River Energy cooperative family, the actions of our members benefit more than just Nobles Cooperative Electric. Small actions by thousands of members across our member-owner cooperatives help reduce overall power costs, strengthening our cooperative network and helping keep electricity as affordable as possible while maintaining the safe, reliable service you expect and deserve.

So the next time you receive a Peak Alert, remember it isn't about running out of electricity. It's about working together to manage costs.

Small actions by thousands of members can make a meaningful difference, helping us keep electricity as affordable as possible while continuing to provide the safe, reliable service you expect and deserve.