Simultaneous measurements of electrical conductivity and flow stress have been made onp‐ andn‐type CdTe single crystals deformed in compression at room temperature. Observed changes in conductivity always correspond to a shift of the Fermi energy towards the conduction band and are consistent with the creation of an excess of dislocation donors. An energy‐band diagram for the native point‐defect states and dislocation states in CdTe is formulated based upon observed electrical, optical, and mechanical behavior.