At Central Missouri Electric Cooperative, we are a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative. We strive to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service. In order to keep your service reliable, new generation and transmission sources are required. Due to this and rising costs, your cooperative is facing a rate increase in spring 2026. Your cooperative and Board of Directors do not take this increase lightly, and remain committed to minimizing the impact on our member-owners. We work to operate at a low cost with any profits earned being returned to you, while keeping your service reliable and safe.
Single Phase Residential Rate
Small Three Phase Rate
Increases in operating, generation and transmission costs are requiring the cooperative to increase revenue through a small rate increase in 2026 to maintain your electric service.
Roughly 60% of your cooperative's cost increases are from Generation and Transmission (G&T) expenses. To keep your electric service reliable, efficient and affordable your G&T (Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.) is building two new natural gas power plants scheduled to go online in 2026 and 2027. A portion of the costs of these new power plants is to be paid by CMEC. Upgrades to the G&T system have also increased your cooperative's costs. These power plants and upgrades are necessary for your reliability, particularly during peak loads during the coldest and hottest days of the upcoming years.
The remainder of this increase covers other operating expense increases such as contracted labor costs, supply chain costs, fixed costs, and projected facility upgrade needs. Your cooperative has also increased our rebuild and maintenance efforts for your system's safety and reliability.
Below is an example of the increases your cooperative has faced between 2019 to 2025.
The average rate increase across the membership is 4.9%.
This rate increase will go into effect in April 2026 and be reflected on your May 2026 bills.
Single-phase residential members will see a $2 increase in monthly service availability, $1 increase in kW demand rate, and a slight increase in kWh rates. For an average household using 1,000 kWh per month, this results in an increase of roughly $8.
Your cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative. Funds that exceed our annual expenses are called margins and are set aside for our members at the end of each year. Margins are returned to members in future years in the form of capital credits.
There are many ways to reduce your energy use. Learn ways to save on our Saving Energy webpage. You can also contact us to learn more about our energy efficiency rebates and incentives.
Our office is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. you can also speak with one of our member service representatives at 660-826-2900 or email us at msr@cmecinc.com.
Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI) is a member-owned system which provides generation and transmission to 2.1 million members across Missouri (including CMEC) and parts of Oklahoma and Iowa. According to AECI, between 2021 and 2025, CMEC and the 50 other cooperatives AECI serves set three new winter peaks and an all-time summer high. While AECI's systems performed well, AECI wants to prepare for the future and not wait for a crisis to occur. While the CMEC and AECI systems continue to grow, your cooperatives must be innovative and proactive in addressing growing loads. This is especially important during peak demand times in the summer and winter.
Electric cooperatives are dedicated to keeping our member-owners' electricity reliable, efficient, and affordable. The construction of the Turney Energy Center near Turney, MO and the Ripley Energy Center near Stillwater, OK emphasizes the focus on reliability. AECI reports that the Turney and Ripley Centers will not run all the time, making them available to quick-start and run on-demand during peak events. They will help supplement other forms of electrical general like solar or wind which cannot generate power on demand.
Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. and your CMEC staff are continuously evaluating our systems' demands and projected power needs. If it is determined that further power plants will be needed in the future, your G&T will address this.