CHELCO’s membership growth has been a defining trend in recent years, with more than 2,000 new services and meter points added to our electric distribution system annually since 2020.

From 2020 to 2023, our growth remained steady, allowing us to accurately track net expansion by accounting for both new connections and retired services. During this period, we added more than 2,000 meters each year—averaging around 4% annual growth, four times higher than the national average for electric cooperatives.

However, 2024 stands out as a remarkable year. Surpassing our highest growth on record in 2023, we saw an unprecedented net increase of more than 4,000 services and meter points in a single year.

While this spike may seem like an anomaly, we anticipate continued strong growth. Rapid residential development in areas such as Owl’s Head and Hammock Bay in Freeport, and in the Auburn community north of Crestview, suggests that CHELCO’s expansion in 2025 and beyond will more closely resemble 2024 than previous years.

“It’s certainly a challenge on many fronts,” says Matthew Avery, CHELCO’s Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations. “Electric utilities have been hit hard by inflation, with prices on key power delivery materials rising 50-75% since 2020. Additionally, our workforce has had to meet the demands of this rapid growth and the surge in new work orders. Our construction work plan, which outlines planned system improvements, upgrades and expansions, has nearly doubled since 2020. We have the right team in place and have been proactive in our planning, but this level of growth still presents many challenges.”

Despite these challenges, CHELCO remains committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable power and will continue to work diligently on behalf of our members to support our growing communities.