2025 Coastal Electric Annual Review: More than customers, connected by trust
Cooperative members are more than customers. They are owners.
Customers pay for a service. Members invest in something they own.
When you pay your electric bill to Coastal Electric Cooperative, those dollars don’t disappear. They stay here, working for you—powering your home today, strengthening the system for tomorrow and, when financially appropriate, returning to you as capital credits.
That’s what makes a cooperative different. And it’s where financial Lines of Trust begin.
This is Cooperative Principle 3: Members’ Economic Participation. Every dollar is handled with purpose, transparency and accountability, because the people we serve are the same people who own the cooperative.
Turning your dollars into decisions you can trust
So how do we ensure your investment is managed wisely? We don’t guess, and we don’t take shortcuts.
Every financial decision is built on careful planning, data and experience to ensure two things: You have reliable power when you need it and you’re not paying more than necessary.
We use tools like load forecasting and weather modeling to anticipate demand, construction work plans to stay ahead of growth and cost-of-service studies to ensure rates are fair and accurate. These are combined with historical data, industry trends and decades of knowledge of our local system.
Because financial stewardship isn’t separate from service— it’s what makes reliable service possible.
Balancing affordability and reliability
We work hard to keep electric rates stable and affordable. But reliability—and the infrastructure required to deliver it— comes at a cost.
For the first time in more than a decade, Coastal Electric Cooperative implemented a rate increase, effective May 1.
We understand that any increase matters. That’s why this decision came only after years of rising costs, including power supply, materials, equipment, construction and system maintenance, along with careful evaluation of every alternative.
Our responsibility is to balance affordability today with reliability tomorrow.
This adjustment ensures we can continue to meet members’ needs, not just now, but for years to come, because financial transparency and long-term planning are essential to maintaining your trust.
Reliability when it matters most
Financial stewardship doesn’t end on paper. It shows up where it matters most: in reliable electric service.
In 2025, that reliability was tested.
During periods of extreme temperatures, electricity use reached record levels across Georgia. On July 28, electric cooperatives statewide set a new all-time summer peak. And on Feb. 1, Coastal Electric Cooperative reached its own highest demand in history at 162,503 kW.
Because we planned ahead, monitored conditions and prepared for high demand, we met those needs without interruption.
That’s the kind of reliability our members depend on—on blue-sky days and during extreme conditions alike.
And that kind of reliability doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through intentional planning, strong partnerships and ongoing investment.
Strength in cooperation
Providing power 24/7 requires more than local effort. It takes collaboration.
Through partnerships with other electric cooperatives across the state, we share generation resources and secure long-term power supply agreements.
This approach strengthens reliability, manages risk and reduces costs through economies of scale. This is Cooperative Principle 6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives.
By working together, we build a stronger, more resilient energy network—one that serves our members better.
Investing in a system you can rely on
Here at home, we continue building and maintaining the infrastructure that powers your daily life.
In 2025, Coastal Electric Cooperative:
- Brought the Belfast Substation on-line to meet growing demand.
- Added a second transformer at Tradeport Substation with advanced metering infrastructure.
- Upgraded equipment in McIntosh County to support increased load.
- Relocated lines in Liberty County to support road improvements.
- Installed more resilient spacer cable in Shellman Bluff to reduce outage risk.
We also continue expanding underground lines where feasible, increasing system resilience while balancing cost considerations.
These investments are about more than equipment. They’re about delivering consistent, dependable service you can count on.
Preventing problems before they start
Reliability isn’t just about responding to outages. It’s about preventing them.
In 2025, we inspected 3,037 poles and 893 pad-mounted transformers for safety and reliability. We cleared almost 190 miles of right-of-way. This proactive work reduces the likelihood of outages and allows for faster restoration when they do occur.
And because our linemen live throughout the communities we serve, they can respond quickly—day or night.
Growing responsibly, serving fully
As our communities grow, so does the demand for reliable power.
In 2025, we connected 1,679 new services, including major projects like the new Richmond Hill High School and the Hasbro distribution center in Midway.
Growth brings opportunity but also responsibility.
We plan carefully to ensure we can serve new members without compromising the service our existing members depend on. That’s part of Cooperative Principle 1: Open and Voluntary Membership.
We’re committed to making room for growth while maintaining the quality and reliability our members expect.
Built on trust, all for our members
Every mile of line, every investment and every decision exists for one reason: the members who make this cooperative.
At Coastal Electric Cooperative, trust is built through transparency, strengthened through reliability and sustained through responsible financial stewardship.
Together, we are building Lines of Trust, connecting neighbors, strengthening communities and shaping the cooperative we share.
About Your Cooperative
Understanding Capital Credits
In 2025, Coastal Electric Cooperative retired nearly $1.4 million in capital credits to members, bringing total retirements to more than $22 million since our founding in 1940.
Cooperative Principles
The 7 Cooperative Principles are at the core of everything we do. As a not-for-profit, member-owned electric co-op, we exist to serve our members and are accountable to our members.
Leadership Built on Trust
Our Board of Directors is made up entirely of Coastal Electric Cooperative members, elected by fellow members to guide the cooperative in the best interest of those who own it.