FAQ

TCEC serves the Oklahoma Panhandle and parts of surrounding states including Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. See a map of our service area and the towns we serve.

As a distribution electric cooperative, TCEC purchases 100 percent of its power from Golden Spread Electric Cooperative. TCEC also has an agreement with Enel Green Power North America to purchase 83.6 megawatts of wind energy out of its Diamond Vista project. TCEC sells this power to Southwest Power Pool (SPP). This renewable energy helps offset potential increases in the cost of power purchased from Golden Spread Electric Cooperative.

National, regional, and state agencies as well as the federal government and Board of Trustees regulate the cooperative. We are governed by a member-elected, nine-member Board of Trustees through the member-adopted Bylaws. Trustees determine the Rules and Regulations of Service and Tariffs. While the membership of TCEC has opted to give the authority over rates to the local Board of Trustees, all other regulatory rules refer to the corporation commission of the state service is provided in. TCEC adopts the rules most favorable to the member into its Rules and Regulations.

TCEC, while registered as a nontaxable entity, is still subject to certain taxes depending on the state where the service is provided. As with any business, those taxes are collected from the consumer and returned to the appropriate governmental agencies.

For example, in Oklahoma, TCEC pays an annual tax that is equal to 2% of its gross receipts derived from the sale and distribution of electric energy during the calendar year. Payment of this tax on its gross receipts is “in full and in lieu of any and all other taxes imposed by the state, counties, cities, towns, townships, school district and other municipalities or political subdivisions of the state on the property of each such cooperative.”

[See OKLA. STAT. title 68, § 1803 (2011)]

The Annual Reports page has links to our annual report, which is typically published as a bill insert in the summer of the following year.

The board decides annually whether the co-op can afford to retire capital credits based on the financial performance of the cooperative. It is a goal to retire capital credits every year. TCEC’s trustees approved to return about $1 million to members in 2019.

Members can attend their district meeting in person to elect a representative for their voting district every three years. See our Bylaws for more information about voting.

Confirm your district by looking at the top right corner of page two of your electric bill or contact TCEC at (580) 652-2418.

Once you know which district you are in and have reviewed the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Bylaws, the nomination form must be completed in person and notarized by the candidate at the TCEC office in Hooker, 995 Mile 46 Road.

Qualifications are outlined in the TCEC Bylaws. Below is an excerpt as of April 2022.

• No person shall be eligible to become or remain a trustee or to hold any position of trust in the Cooperative unless that person:
  • Is a member of the Cooperative;
  • Is at least eighteen (18) years of age;
  • Has been a member at his/her primary residence for a period of not less than one year prior to the filing date for the trustee position;
  • Has been an actual resident and member of the district from which the trustee is to be elected for at least one (1) year prior to filing for trustee position.
• Is not, in any way, employed by or financially interested in a business, company or enterprise that is:
  • Competing with the Cooperative;
  • Selling electric energy or supplies to the Cooperative;
  • Primarily engaged in selling electric appliances, fixtures or supplies to the members of the Cooperative.
• Is not an employee or former employee of the Cooperative; and
• Is not a close relative of an employee of the Cooperative or a trustee who will remain on the Board of Trustees.
• No person shall be eligible to become or remain a trustee who:
  • Has pled guilty or no contest to, or has been convicted of a felony;
  • Has pled guilty or no contest to, or has been convicted of any charge relating to any of the following:
  • Defrauding a utility;
  • Altering, tampering with or injuring or allowing the altering, tampering with or injuring any pipeline, line, wire, conduit, conductor, meter, meter seal, transformer, or other equipment used by a utility to deliver or register service;
  • Preventing any installed metering device from correctly registering the quantity of service passing through such metering device; or
  • Using electricity in any way without the consent of a utility.