Managing Costs is a Shared Responsibility

Whether you’re browsing the meat counter, filling up at the pump, or shopping for your family’s daily needs, it’s likely you’re seeing the effects of higher prices on your wallet. At Victory Electric, we understand you may feel powerless when facing the rising costs of goods and services.

Electric cooperatives like ours feel the pressure of rising costs, too. The price of poles, wire, transformers and other essential equipment has risen significantly in the past several years — sometimes more than doubling in price. Rising fuel costs affect Victory Electric, too, as we send crews across our service area to maintain more than 3,200 miles of power lines.

We know you count on us to reliably and affordably provide the energy you need every day. Although we may not be able to control all costs, we do have the power to manage expenses and reduce the costs that are under our control. 

As a not-for-profit cooperative, it’s Victory Electric’s responsibility to keep electric rates as low as possible for our members, and that’s a goal we take seriously. We are committed to the long-term success of Victory Electric and the well-being of our members. 

At the distribution level, we work to save money by improving efficiency throughout the organization and adopting cost-saving technology where appropriate. We strive to keep expenses in check while continuing to deliver reliable electric service. 

We have been able to pass through an Energy Cost Adjustment as a credit on members’ bills since October 2022, which reduces our annual residential power bills. 

We leverage federal funding sources such as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements when possible. Getting back disaster recovery costs for the cooperative benefits members, too. Victory Electric also has fuel contracts in place to protect against market price fluctuations, and we bid out materials and services in our purchasing department to keep costs as low as possible. 

Power Partners

Victory Electric’s strong partnerships help in striking a balance between minimizing costs and managing risk as well.

Our generation and transmission utility, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, maintains a well-balanced, diversified portfolio of owned and purchased generation resources, using multiple technologies and fuel sources. Sunflower’s capacity mix of coal, natural gas, solar, wind and hydro helps them manage market fluctuations and keep member rates competitive. 

Sunflower Electric is part of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization (RTO). SPP acts like an air traffic controller by directing the flow of electricity in its network. It optimizes electric generation and transmission resources and plans infrastructure to meet future energy needs. SPP recently expanded its service territory into the Western Interconnection of the nation’s power grid — the first RTO to span two interconnections — and now serves all or part of 17 states with 86,000 miles of transmission lines.

As Victory Electric, Sunflower Electric and SPP work together to navigate complex industry challenges, we are always looking ahead and exploring more ways to manage rising costs. We also provide efficiency tips and other information to help you save energy and money. 

We prioritize you, our members, while working hard to provide reliable, affordable and dependable electric service. We appreciate your trust in the cooperative as we continue powering the communities we serve.