4Q 2026 Rates: Members see overall decrease in fourth quarter rates

At a Glance

• Beginning October 1, MEA’s Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) will decrease by approximately 8.4%, from 10.195 cents to 9.34 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
• A typical residential member using 623 kWh per month will pay approximately $5.32 less per month, a 3.1% decrease in their total bill, compared to the third quarter.
• Base rates remain unchanged. The reduction comes mainly from lower purchased power costs and a smaller adjustment for past power supply expenses.

MEA members will pay a lower rate for electricity beginning October 1, 2026, as the cooperative’s Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) decreases for the fourth quarter. For a typical residential member using 623 kWh per month, the monthly bill will decrease from approximately $171.38 to $166.06, assuming the same electricity use.

Why Is the Cost Going Down?The decrease is mainly due to lower costs for electricity MEA purchases from other utilities and a reduction in the amount needed to cover past power supply expenses. MEA estimates its power supply costs in advance, then compares those estimates with actual costs. Any difference is accounted for in future COPA rates. For the fourth quarter, that adjustment is smaller, helping bring the rate down.These savings are partially offset by higher expected fuel and transportation costs during the colder months.

3Q 2026 Rates: Members see overall increase due to COPA changes
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Starting July 1, 2026, MEA members will notice an increase in their total electric bills compared to last quarter. MEA members will see an increase in the Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) beginning in the third quarter of 2026, reflecting higher fuel and power supply costs experienced this spring and projected for the months ahead.

The COPA is the portion of your electric bill that reflects the actual cost of fuel and purchased power used to provide electricity. Unlike base rates, which cover the operation, maintenance, and improvement of MEA’s electric system, the COPA changes as fuel and power supply costs rise or fall and are directly passed through to MEA members without any markup as costs are incurred.

Fuel and purchased power currently account for approximately 37% of the average residential electric bill. As a result, significant increases or decreases in these costs can have a meaningful impact on monthly bills, even when base rates remain unchanged. Part of the COPA also involves a balancing account which is essentially a running true-up. It tracks the difference between the projected cost of power and what it actually costs, so any over-collection is returned to members and any shortfall is recovered over time.

For the upcoming quarter, MEA’s COPA rate will increase from $0.07879 per kilowatt-hour(kWh) to $0.10195 per kWh, an increase of approximately 29.4%. It is important to note that the MEA Board of Directors approved no change to base rates for the third quarter. Base rates are reviewed separately and cover the costs of operating and maintaining MEA's electric system. The increase members will see this quarter is primarily related to higher fuel and purchased power costs reflected in the COPA.

What this means for members

• A typical member using about 623 kWh per monh (MEA’s average usage benchmark) will see their average monthly bill increase by $14.53, or 9.26% more than 2Q 2026.

2Q 2026 Rates: Members see small overall increase

Starting April 1, 2026, MEA members will notice a slight increase in their total electric bills compared to last quarter. The change comes mainly from a 3.2% increase in the Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) rate, which reflects the cost of fuel and power MEA purchases to serve members. The MEA Board of Directors approved no change to base rates in a previous board meeting. Base rates cover MEA’s operating costs not included in the COPA and are also updated quarterly.

What this means for members

• A typical member using about 623 kWh per monh (MEA’s average usage benchmark) will see their average monthly bill increase by $1.57, or 1.09% more than 1Q 2026.

1Q 2026 Rates: Members see slight overall decrease
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Starting January 1, 2026, MEA members will notice a slight decrease in their total electric bills compared to last quarter. The change comes mainly from a 6% drop in the Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) rate, which reflects the cost of fuel and power MEA purchases to serve members. A previously approved 2% base rate increase will also take effect this quarter, but the COPA decrease more than offsets that change, resulting in a small overall savings. The 1Q 2026 COPA decrease is largely due to higher expected winter electricity usage, which helps spread fuel and purchased power costs across more kilowatt-hours sold.

Base rates recover MEA’s operating costs not included in COPA and are also updated quarterly. The 2% base rate increase, approved by the MEA Board of Directors and the RCA, reflects ongoing inflation and rising operational expenses.

What this means for members

• A typical member using about 642 kWh per month (MEA’s average usage benchmark) will see their average monthly bill decrease by $1.35, or 0.82% less than 4Q 2025.

MEA reviews rates each quarter to keep bills aligned with real costs, while following RCA-approved guidelines. MEA remains committed to delivering reliable, affordable electricity to its members while navigating the challenges of fluctuating fuel costs, purchased power contracts, and long-term energy planning.
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2025 4Q Rates: Overall Rate Decrease

MEA members will see a slight decrease in their electric bills beginning October 1, 2025, as the Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) rate decreases by approximately 6% compared to the previous quarter. The base rates remain unchanged as authorized by the MEA Board of Directors. The COPA adjustment—reviewed quarterly by the RCA—primarily reflects the cost of fuel used to generate electricity and power purchased from other utilities.

The 4th quarter COPA decrease is driven largely by lower projected purchased power costs, coupled with adjustments to the balancing account - which is stabilizing after under-and over-collections in previous quarters. These savings are partially offset by an increase in the projected fuel cost component due to:

• Higher cost of natural gas per mcf, effective in April under MEA’s contract with Hilcorp;
• Increased fuel quantities as we  head into winter months, and
• An increase in ENSTAR gas  transportation rates that took effect in June.

What this means for members

• A typical member using 642 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see their average monthly bill     decrease by about $3.49, or 2.1%, compared to the 3rd quarter.
• The all-in effective rate per kWh will drop from 25.62 cents in Q3 to 25.07 cents in Q4.‍

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View MEA's current quarter rate sheet: