DMEA Hosts Annual Meeting: Expects Future Year Rate Increases

Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) welcomed over 500 members and guests from across Montrose and Delta counties to its 2026 Annual Meeting on June 18 at Olathe High School. The event combined cooperative business with family-friendly activities, highlighting the power of membership and the cooperative's continued commitment to reliability, affordability, and community investment.

This year's theme, "Activate Your Superpowers," celebrated the unique role members play in shaping the cooperative's future. Attendees participated in interactive activities, enjoyed food and entertainment, connected with employees and directors, and learned about the accomplishments that defined the past year.

"Our cooperative's strength comes from our members," said CEO Jack Johnston. "Whether you attended the annual meeting, voted in elections, participated in community programs, or simply trusted us to power your home and business, you play an important role in our success. Together, we're building a strong future for the communities we serve."

During the business meeting, DMEA leaders highlighted a strong year of financial performance, electric reliability, broadband expansion to 10 zones and the City of Delta, participation in the Commitment to Zero safety initiative through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), and community impact with sponsorships to over 70 organizations. Members heard updates on the retirement of $3.4 million in capital credits, investments in system modernization and wildfire mitigation, participation in the Light Up Navajo initiative, and more than $100,000 in scholarships awarded to local students.

A key topic during the meeting was rates. “We want to be upfront with our members about what we see on the horizon,” said Johnston. “We expect there may be a need for rate increases over the next few years. Rising transmission costs, new resource adequacy requirements, and inflation are all increasing the cost of providing safe, reliable electricity. It’s our job to manage the costs we can control before we ever ask members to pay more.”

Johnston stressed that the cooperative is working on finding ways to keep costs down without sacrificing the reliability our members depend on.

As a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative, DMEA operates differently from investor-owned utilities. Every decision is made with members' best interests in mind, not with shareholder returns in mind. Through prudent financial management, strategic power supply partnerships, and ongoing investments in reliability and efficiency, DMEA continues to provide dependable electric service while positioning the cooperative for a strong future.

“Our fundamental responsibility and promise to our members is to deliver reliable power to their homes while keeping bills as low as is responsible,” finished Johnston.

Lastly, members also voted on a proposed amendment to DMEA's Articles of Incorporation regarding director term limits. The measure did not pass. A strong voter turnout yielded 4,843 votes overall; 2,336 for and 2,507 against.  

DMEA extends its appreciation to the members, employees, and community partners who helped make the 2026 Annual Meeting a success.

To view the livestream of the meeting, please visit fb.com/dmeacoop. Members can view the 2025 annual report online.