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“Our job is to use your dollars carefully and make investments strategically to do the most good for the most people.” BRIAN W. BROUGHTONPresident & CEO There is an inevitable question many folks ask after a big storm, when power poles break, lines are down and you are without electricity for a lot longer than anyone would like—Why doesn’t Lynches River Electric Cooperative just bury its lines underground? It’s a fair question. The short answer is that we do bury power lines when it makes sense. Currently, 13% of our system is underground, and we estimate to bury another 11 miles of line in 2027. Underground lines are generally more reliable because they aren’t as susceptible to routine outages caused by falling trees and branches. We also recognize underground lines are more aesthetically pleasing. Even I would admit the most beautiful power line is one

What does Lynches River Electric have in common with companies like Ocean Spray, Land O’Lakes, REI, Ace Hardware and credit unions? All are cooperatives, of course. Farmer-owned cooperatives such as Ocean Spray and Land O’ Lakes help producers bring their products to market. Retail cooperatives such as REI and ACE Hardware are owned by their shoppers or a collection of store owners. Credit unions help members save and borrow money. And then there are electric cooperatives like Lynches River Electric, which were created to make sure the people who live in the local community have access to reliable, affordable electricity. No matter the services they offer, all cooperatives have one thing in common: They’re led by the people they serve. A powerful idea Cooperatives have always been built on the powerful idea that when people work together, they can improve life for their neighbors and

The Board of Trustees of Lynches River Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce the refund of the remaining capital credit funds for the year 2006. With a privately-owned business, money left over at the end of the year is considered profit and paid to the owners or investors in the form of dividends. At Lynches River, a not-for-profit electric cooperative, any money left over is called margins. Margins are paid in the form of capital credits and represent equity or ownership interest in the cooperative. We are pleased to be able to refund approximately $1,218,505.02 to the members on record for all of 2006. Capital credits of $75 or more will be issued by check and mailed to the member. Amounts under $75 will be applied as a credit to the member’s account. LREC uses capital credits for a period of time to offset expenses

This financial report is not finalized until Nov. 15. 2025 Financial Report [PDF] How your dollar was spent Wholesale power costs – 58%; operation and maintenance – 15%; depreciation – 7%; administrative and general – 7%; fiber operations – 5%; interest – 4%; consumer service – 3%

The LREC Board of Directors has proposed the following bylaw revisions for approval by the membership. Members are encouraged to review the proposed changes, which will be voted on during the 2026 Annual Meeting held on Oct. 2–3. 2026 Proposed Bylaw Amendments [PDF]

BRIAN W. BROUGHTONPresident & CEO Lynches River Electric Cooperative members will be asked to make important decisions at our upcoming annual meeting. On the first weekend in October, your ballot will include more than one proposed bylaw change. I want to explain one of those bylaw changes and why our board of trustees supports it. Currently, our service territory is divided into eight voting districts. Each district is represented by a board member who lives in that district and is elected only by the members who live there. The ninth and final board member is elected at large by all members. That means each co-op member has a say in electing just two of our board’s nine members—their district’s representative and the at-large trustee. Under the proposed bylaw change, all co-op members would be able to vote for all nine seats, not just two. The

By Josh P. Crotzer Trenton Faile had never been to Washington, D.C., but he’d always been drawn to what happens there. When his teacher encouraged him and classmate Daniel Hardison to apply for Washington Youth Tour, the rising senior at North Central High School didn’t hesitate. “I’ve always loved government and politics,” says Faile. “I knew I had to go for this experience.” Faile and Hardison were two of four local students sponsored by Lynches River Electric Cooperative for the six-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the nation’s capital. They joined Salem Hann of Andrew Jackson High School and homeschooler Hadley Whaley, along with 63 other high school students representing South Carolina’s electric cooperatives, for visits to historic and educational sites including Fort McHenry in Baltimore, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery and the Smithsonian museums. They were among 1,700 students from 44 states participating in

“Lynches River Electric Cooperative is proud to play its part in keeping the grid strong for the communities we serve.” BRIAN W. BROUGHTONPresident & CEO When you enter a room and flip a switch, the electricity that powers your light bulb arrives instantly. It happens in the tiniest fraction of a second, too fast for the human eye to notice. At Lynches River Electric Cooperative, we’re proud to be a part of that moment — and thousands like it every day. You are a member and owner of our co-op, and you deserve to understand the system that provides that power and the ways your co-op works behind the scenes to keep your electricity reliable and affordable. It all starts, of course, with power generation. Whether a nuclear power plant, a natural gas-fired turbine, a hydroelectric dam or a solar farm, these facilities produce the

BRIAN W. BROUGHTONPresident & CEO Summer is approaching, and for the next few months we can expect extended stretches of extreme heat. During those afternoons when temperatures are pushing into the upper 90s or even exceeding 100 degrees, we all want our homes to be a refreshing oasis. So why would Lynches River Electric Cooperative encourage you to move your thermostat setting up during a heat wave? There are a couple of reasons, both for your benefit. Avoid sticker shock In the summer, your cooling system is by far the biggest energy user in your home. On a typical summer day, your HVAC unit can account for roughly half of your power consumption. Your air conditioner’s job is to close the gap between the temperature outside and the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat. The wider that gap, the harder your unit has to work

Lake Wateree resident upgrades retirement with RiverNet Connect By Josh P. Crotzer George Harkins will be the first to admit, it’s a blessed and enjoyable life on the banks of Lake Wateree. “I come out with a cup of coffee and sit on my porch overlooking the lake,” says Harkins. “I just say, ‘Thank you, Lord, it doesn’t get any better than this.’” George Harkins’ phone calls from his lakeside home used to drop after a couple of minutes. Not anymore. “Whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it right,” he says of RiverNet Connect. The place where he and his wife are spending their retirement is everything they ever wanted. The internet and phone service, however, were not. Harkins spent his career in international business development, marketing enzymes and food-industry ingredients for companies that trade across Europe, Asia and South America. Post-retirement consultant work required making