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Pasco County Shares In Co-Op's Proceeds

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com

Published: December 20, 2008

DADE CITY - Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative has begun its annual mailing of refund checks to its membership, divvying up more than $14 million.

Among the recipients: Pasco County.

Bob Arnett, who runs the co-op's Bayonet Point district, told county commissioners this week the county will receive more than $200,000.

Pasco County is among nearly 200,000 customers that get power from Withlacoochee, the Dade City-based utility that serves homes and businesses in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Each customer is considered an owner.

Doling out dividends is part of Withlacoochee's annual bookkeeping. As a nonprofit, the cooperative returns its net funds after paying its bills and putting some in reserves, Lambert said.

It gave out a similar amount last year.

The average household refund this year is $36. That figure changes depending on the amount of power the customers use and how long they've with the co-op, Lambert said.

For the majority of the co-op's customers, refunds will be applied to December's utility bills, Lambert said.

Customers with multiple accounts - such as Pasco County - and those who have canceled their service before the end of the year will get their refund by check, Lambert said.

Withlacoochee, after several years of steady growth, has lost about 300 customers this year because of the foreclosure crisis and economic slump, Lambert said.

"We also have a lot of accounts out there that are still active but nobody's in there," Lambert said.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201.

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