The Southwest Mississippi Electric Power Association mailed refunds of member capital credits totaling $627,000 on Dec. 8.

The refunds come as a result of the financial condition of the association and are the first general refund since December 1997.

Capital credits reflect the amount left after all operating, maintenance and general expenses are deducted from the total amount paid on an electric bill each year.

Capital credits can be refunded only if the financial condition of the cooperative will not be impaired, according to Percy McCaa, general manager of SMEPA. Therefore there is no guarantee of refunds every year.

“Over the next 12 to 15 months a total of $2.7 million in special projects are scheduled,” McCaa said in the cooperative’s recent newsletter.

“Most of these projects are upgrading and conversion of older power lines.”

The clearing of undergrowth and limbs or trees is projected to cost more than $1.8 million in 2007, McCaa said. “This program is key to the continued reduction in the number of outages along with the length of time of an outage.”