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NW Network A NORTHWESTERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE PUBLICATION September 2026

It Pays to Be a Co-op Member NWEC Returns $409,000 to members

nlike utilities who operate for profit and are owned by outside investors, Northwestern Electric Cooperative operates at cost and returns any profits, or margins, back to our members in the form of capital credits. Capital credits are a tangible benefit of your co-op membership, they represent your stake in our cooperative. After reviewing the cooperative’s financial position, our member-elected board of trustees chose to allocate $409,000 to our members this April. NWEC’s capital credits follow a 20-year rotation, so members who used electricity in 2006 either received a credit to their account this April or a check in the mail over the summer. The amount each member receives is based on their usage for that year. (6259008) Some of NWEC’s current and former members do not have upto-date information on file with the co-op. To receive your capital credits, we must have recent and valid addresses on file.

OUR OFFICES WILL CLOSE SEPTEMBER 7 FOR LABOR DAY. TO REPORT AN OUTAGE OR MAKE A PAYMENT CALL 580-377-1414.

Page two features a list of individuals who need to update their addresses in order to receive their capital credits. If you see your name, or the name of someone you know, please notify them and be sure to update your information with the co-op as soon as possible. If you see the name of a family member who is deceased and you are a rightful heir, you can down-

load an estate form from nwecok. coop to complete and return with all the proper paperwork. We also have address change forms on our website for members who need to update their contact information. If you have any questions give us a call at 580-256-7425 or email cc@nwecok.org. NW Missing Members Listed on Page 2

Claim Me if You Can

Each month two member account numbers will be hidden somewhere in the issue. If you find your account number by the 8th of the current month, all you have to do is give us a call and your account will be credited for the amount listed. This month’s numbers are worth $25 each. Happy hunting! Congratulations to last month's winner! Kenneth Waugh

Address Update Form Estate Refund Form And More Available at nwecok.coop/capital-credits

Unclaimed Dollars Could Be Yours A ANDERSON KIARA B BAKER CA OR RUTH

BARANSY JOHN H BOOKSTORE W L BOULWARE BRANDON L BRADY MATT BUCKWALTER ROBERT OR LORETTA BULLER ANNABELLE BURLINGHAM DAVID OR PAMELA BURTON RUBY TRUST C CAMACHO LAURA CHARMASSON CHARITY COFFEY DOROTHY CREDEUR WHITNEY OR JUDY CROUSE ROGER TODD D DELANO RODNEY A DENNISON LETISHA DODD CLARENCE F FENTON GLEED FLEWELLING AMY FOARD JEAN G GAISFORD RUBY GROFF DANIEL GUTHRIE RON OR JUDY H HALL DAVID HAMMOCK JESSIE

HANKS JENNIFER HANSEN JAMES MICHAEL HARRIS TRAVIS HART JOHN OR JENNIFER HEIDLEBAUGH TROY OR ROSA HENRICKS JAY II HERZER CHARLES HUMPHREY TERRI HUSSEY GARY OR CAROL ANNE J JOHNSON MONA D JOHNSON WILLIAM H K KING GLENDA KISSEE KATHERINE M KISTLER TASHA KLEIN SARAH KNOWLES RANDY W KRUSE MARK KUPER SCOTT L LAKE JAMIE OR DANNETTE LAMLE BLAKE LANGDON LEE LANGSTON JOSH OR ANGELA LARSON AMANDA LEHR RANDY B LEMMONS FRANK

LONG SHAWN LONGHOFER HEATHER LOYD SHERMAN M MANWARREN ROBERT MAPLES ALVIE MARTINEZ ANTONIO MCDANIEL DEAN OR JUDY MILLER KRIS MILLER STEPHEN A MORRIS DONALD L OR CAROL MURRAY LENN MYERS DARREL N NEWBY GERALD NYE RONNIE OR MOLLY D O OHAIR MARK OR RUTHIE ORTEGA MARIO P PARKER JAMES S JR OR TAMMY PARKER REUBEN JR. PARKS DUTCH PHILLIPS TRAVIS W JR PITTS WAYNE POAGE SHEA OR JENNIFER PORTER MICHAEL POWELL RICHARD R REIFF ALISON LESLIE RICHARD MIKE

RIGGS ARLES P JR RODRIGUEZ-RAMSEY KANDRA ROYBAL FABIAN S SANDERS DON D SAULS JUSTIN C SCHROEDER DEREK SERGENT WILTON SHEPPARD JASON SMITH BUCK SMITH DANA STURDIVANT RODDY THOMAN TINA T THORNTON KYLE TOWERTON GRAHAM OR MELISA TURNER LOLA C TURNER MEGAN TURNER ROBERT V VALLASTER SAM OR KAREN VAN HOOSER EVA VILLA ALMA W WARNER DUSTIN WEISZBROD KRISTIN WHITE DERREL OR MARY WILLIAMS MARDENA WURTZ GERALD L

Board of Trustees Kenny Knowles, President | Arnett Gilbert Perkins, Vice President | Gate John Bruce Jr., Secretary/Treasurer | Sharon TYSON LITTAU, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Northwestern Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. NW NETWORK | 2

Protect Yourself And Your Medical Devices

Stay safe with outage preparation

f you or a loved one relies on an electric medical device, a power outage isn’t just an inconvenience— it could be life-threatening. Severe weather or equipment failures can knock out electricity without warning, so it’s essential to have a plan in place to stay safe. (16894001) Start by contacting your co-op. Northwestern Electric maintains a list of our members who have a life-threatening medical condition which requires special equipment for whom a power interruption may be dangerous and life-threatening. Examples of qualifying lifesustaining equipment include respirators, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, home dialysis machines and other equipment for human-life-threatening medical conditions.

For those who qualify, when possible and reasonable, NWEC makes an effort to notify these individuals in advance of a planned outage or known pending emergency situation, such as an extended outage.

NW Network NW Network Editor Melissa Weder Contact comms@nwecok.org

NWEC Attorney John Meinders

Members with critical health issues should still be prepared with back-up plans in case of an outage. If you believe you or someone you know qualifies for the lifethreatening list, please call Dee Rader at 580-571-3909. She will ask for pertinent information and will send a verification form for the qualifying individual’s physician to fill out. Already on the list? Give Dee a call just to make sure your information is as accurate as possible! NW Follow these tips to prepare medical equipment for a power outage: Have an emergency plan in place with friends and family that outlines places you can go in the event of a long-term outage. Before an outage occurs, find out if the medical equipment safely runs on a backup power source and for how long (see manufacturer’s recommendations).

Keep a full charge on batterypowered devices or have extra batteries available. Like any important device, keep up regular maintenance. If recommended by the manufacturer, consider purchasing a portable battery pack to power devices. Gather related resources that will last for two weeks, including batteries, supplemental equipment and prescriptions. Realize that local shelters and hospitals that are also experiencing an outage may be at capacity and have limited resources, including auxiliary power. Think about the other special equipment you might need, such as coolers for refrigerated medicine. Keep a file that includes the device’s manufacturer, serial numbers and photos of the device.

Buffalo 102 W. Turner St. Buffalo, OK 73834

Main Number: 580-256-7425 IVR - Payment/Outage - Number: 580-377-1414 Online Member Portal NWEC Mobile App

www.nwecok.coop

3 | NW NETWORK

Powerful Program

NWEC community solar farm fast facts

Community solar farms offer a simple, affordable way for members to participate in renewable energy without the maintenance costs and concerns of owning their own solar array. However, if a member is interested in having solar installed on their property, we strongly encourage our members to call us first to help evaluate the feasibility of the project before a commitment is made. Enrollment for our community solar program is open and can be done by visiting our website at nwecok.coop/community-solar-program, or by calling Melissa Weder at 580-256-7425.

Farm Facts

Availability

• 125 kW capacity located on 1.25 acres • 513 ground-mounted panels with a fixed tilt • Each panel is about 6ft tall by 3ft wide and weighs 55 lbs • In peak sunlight, each panel can produce 315 watts of power operating at 45 volts direct current (DC)

The NWEC community solar member program became available in May 2019 on a voluntary basis to metered residential members who enter into a program agreement with the cooperative.

Program Description Members may purchase shares of the solar facility that entitle them to the output of the facility equal to 0.2667% per share of the total production of the solar facility on a monthly basis. The member’s account will be credited based on the share credit as described below. Total shares available for purchase from the solar facility are limited to 375 shares.

Limited Purchase Quantity Shares may be purchased in quantities ranging from 1 to 25. The energy produced by the member’s purchased shares is not intended to exceed the total annual usage of the participating account.

Share Credit

Purchase Price Per Share

The member shall be entitled to an initial credit equal to

• 10-year program: $150 • 15-year program: $225 • 20-year program: $300

$28 per share per year.

Example: A member purchases one panel (share) under the 10-year program for an initial cost of $150. After receiving an annual credit of $28 (total program credit of $280 over 10 years), the member saves $130 in energy costs.

Term Each share shall be active after the enrollment period set forth by NWEC for a term ending September 2041 or until terminated pursuant to the terms of the license agreement. 4 | NW NETWORK