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REVENUE
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
REVENUE REVENUE
Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Tri-State's electric sales revenues are derived from wholesale electric service sales to the Utility Members and non-member purchasers.
Member electric sales.
Tri-State's Class A rate schedule (A-41) for power sales to the Utility Members on file with FERC includes a formulary rate, which can be adjusted annually based on the budget approved by Tri-State's Board, including an annual true-up mechanism. Tri-State's A-41 rate includes energy and demand components.
Energy and demand have the same pattern of transfer to the Utility Members and are both measurements of the power provided to the Utility Members. Therefore, the provision of power to Utility Members is one performance obligation. Prior to Utility Members’ requirement for power, Tri-State does not have a contractual right to consideration as Tri-State is not obligated to provide power until the Utility Member requires each incremental unit of power. Tri-State transfers control of the power to Utility Members over time and Utility Members simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of the power. Progress toward completion of Tri-State's performance obligation is measured using the output method: meter readings are taken at the end of each month for billing purposes, energy and demand are determined after the meter readings and Utility Members are invoiced based on the meter reading. Payments from Utility Members are received in accordance with the wholesale electric service contracts’ terms, which is less than 30 days from the invoice date. Utility Member electric sales revenue is recorded as Utility Member electric sales on Tri-State's consolidated statements of operations and Accounts receivable – Utility Members on Tri-State's consolidated statements of financial position.
Revenue from one Utility Member, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, was $34.4 million, or 13.2 percent, of Tri-State's Utility Member revenue and 9.2 percent of Tri-State's total operating revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2026. No other Utility Member exceeded 10 percent of Tri-State's Utility Member revenue or its total operating revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2026.
In addition to Utility Member electric sales, Tri-State has non-member electric sales and other operating revenue which consist of several revenue streams. The following revenue is reflected on Tri-State's consolidated statements of operations as follows (dollars in thousands):
Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Non-member electric sales:
Long-term contracts$46,822 $38,794 
Short-term contracts9,968 9,612 
Rate stabilization24,840 44,943 
Provision for rate refunds— (2,554)
Lease revenue11,041 7,320 
Transmission revenue19,159 17,610 
Other2,248 3,475 
Total non-member electric sales and other operating revenue$114,078 $119,200 
Non-member electric sales
Revenues from wholesale power sales to non-members are primarily from long-term contracts and short-term market sales. Prior to Tri-State's customers’ demand for energy, Tri-State does not have a contractual right to consideration as it is not obligated to provide energy until the customer demands each incremental unit of energy. Tri-State transfers control of the energy to its customer over time and its customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the power. Progress toward completion of Tri-State's performance obligation is measured using the output method. Payments are received in accordance with the contract terms, which is less than 30 days after the invoice is received by the customer.
Revenue from four non-members, United Power, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, CORE Electric Cooperative and UNS Electric, Inc., was $10.9 million, $10.2 million, $16.9 million and $6.5 million, respectively, or 19.2 percent, 17.9 percent, 29.8 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively, of non-member electric sales and 2.9
percent, 2.7 percent and 4.5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, of Tri-State's total operating revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2026. No other non-member exceeded 10 percent of Tri-State's total non-member electric sales or its total operating revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2026.
Rate Stabilization
Rate stabilization represents revenue recognition from withdrawal of former Utility Members from membership in us that was previously deferred in accordance with accounting requirements related to regulated operations. Tri-State recognized $24.8 million of deferred membership withdrawal income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to $44.9 million of deferred membership withdrawal income being recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Provision for Rate Refunds
In December 2024 and March 2025, Tri-State recorded provisions for rate refunds totaling $5.1 million related to FERC's orders on Tri-State's Rate Schedule No. 281 concerning the transmission credit calculation for withdrawing Utility Members in the Western Interconnection. Refunds were paid in 2025 to the two withdrawn Utility Members. See Note 19 - Legal - CTP Proceeding.
Lease Revenue
Lease revenue is from lease agreements where Tri-State is the lessor primarily for certain generation facilities with third parties. Tri-State has tolling agreements with third parties for certain combustion turbine units at Knutson, Pyramid and Limon Generating Stations that were determined to be leases as the third parties have the right to the economic benefits of applicable unit and the third parties control the use of such unit by its contractual rights, including the ability to direct the timing of dispatch of energy. See Note 15 - Leases.
Transmission revenue
Transmission revenue is received for reservation of capacity or transmission of electricity over Tri-State's transmission facilities, including revenue from Southwest Power Pool ("SPP") related to Tri-State's transmission facilities in the Eastern Interconnection. Each of these services are provided over time and progress toward completion of Tri-State's performance obligations is measured using the output method.
Other operating revenue
Other operating revenue includes income from various dark fiber agreements that Tri-State has with third parties for the use of certain of Tri-State's telecommunication assets and sales of excess intangible assets.