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Serving Members in Benton, Yakima and Lewis Counties with

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Outage Center

If your home or neighborhood is experiencing an electrical power outage, please report it by calling 800-221-6987 or 509-786-1626. You may also click the "Report an Outage" button below. To view all current outages that are affecting more than 10 members, click the "View Outage Map" button. 

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Featured News and Services

Photo of Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River

Benton REA

A New Threat to the Snake River Dams

Rep. Simpson of Idaho has proposed drafting legislation that would breach the four dams on the lower Snake River. Benton REA has questions and serious concerns about the feasibility of the plan and questions the benefit of a plan that would ask taxpayers to spend $34 billion to significantly increase carbon emissions at a time when our region is taking drastic steps to reduce carbon emissions. Click to learn more.

A pile of U.S. coins and a crumpled one dollar bill

Benton REA

Power To Care Bill Assistance Available

Power To Care allows members to round up their monthly electric bill to the nearest dollar, donating the spare change to a fund that helps fellow members pay their past-due electric bills. Qualifying residential members who need assistance paying their electric bill may apply for up to $275. Click to learn more.

Welcome Back, We've Missed You, Masks Required, Maximum Occupancy = 2 Guests

Benton REA & PowerNET

Welcome Back - Offices Now Open!

Benton REA and PowerNET offices are open. Masks are required for unvaccinated guests. We look forward to seeing you again! Benton REA and PowerNET personnel are still available at 800-221-6987, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outages can be reported by calling 800-221-6987.

An electric car charger plugged into a Chevy Bolt

Benton REA

EV & Plug-In Hybrid Purchase Incentive

Benton REA offers up to $100 to members who purchase an electric vehicle and $25 for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Click here for details and the application. 

Also, receive $300 when you install a Level 2 smart, in-home charging station. Click to learn more about our electric vehicle programs. 

Recent Co-op News

Benton REA Journeyman Lineworkers attach a street light to a newly installed utility power pole

Why Replace Utility Poles?

September 20, 2021
You probably don’t pay much attention to the utility poles, but did you know these tall structures are the backbone of Benton REA’s distribution network? Strong, sturdy utility poles ensure a reliable electric system, which is why we routinely inspect the thousands of poles found on our lines. “Pole replacement...
Comparison of ACSI Scores (from ACSI) - Members give Benton REA and 89 Satisfaction rating, higher than Southwest Airlines, Nike, Apple, Touchstone average, National Co-op Avg., Wal-Mart, Investor-owned avg., Municipal utility avg., DISH Network and Facebook

Members Give Benton REA An 89 Satisfaction Rating

September 6, 2021
For the fifth year in a row, Benton REA members gave their electric cooperative an 89 out of 100 rating in the American Customer Satisfaction Index questions included in the annual satisfaction survey. Each year, Benton REA seeks to understand members’ satisfaction with the cooperative to improve customer service, reliability,...
A young mom and her young son crouch together along a trail through tall grass.

Members Support and Benefit from Power to Care Bill Assistance Program

September 3, 2021
In September 2020, Benton REA launched the Power to Care bill assistance program. One year later, the program is still helping members get through the pandemic together. Donating to the fund Each month, 449 members of the co-op choose to round up their electric bill to the nearest dollar, or...
A man and woman lean on the kitchen countertop looking at an i pad the man is holding

Benton REA Pays Back $1.75 Million to Members

August 8, 2021
Benton REA will pay back more than $1.75 million in ownership credits this summer. This amount is shared among more than 17,400 active and inactive members. People and businesses that receive electricity from Benton REA are members and owners of the cooperative. All utilities have margins, but only electric cooperatives...
Monthly Manager's Message Header - Powerlines against a sunset

Heat Wave Blackouts Avoided, Transmission Improvements Needed

August 1, 2021
Dear Members, To say June 29 was a hot day is an understatement. With temperatures hitting 115 degrees, all our air conditioners put a strain on the Bonneville Power Administration’s capacity to deliver electricity into the Tri-Cities. Benton REA does not own transmission lines, which are the high-voltage power lines...
David Hanson, executive director, and Ken Trainor, director of operations for Sunrise Outreach Center food banks accept a check for $3,000 from Benton REA Board President Connie Krull (center).

Benton REA Donates $15K to Local Food Banks

July 19, 2021
Fifteen thousand dollars is helping feed local families thanks to Benton REA and matching funds from CoBank, one of the utility’s lenders. Benton REA received a $7,500 matching grant from the CoBank Sharing Success program. Together, the $15,000 donation will help families through three organizations within the Benton REA member...
A mother holds a tablet while she looks at her pre-teen-age daughter. Both are wearing pink shirts and a lamp is on between them. PowerNET's managed router service helps families and businesses manage their internet network.

A Lot of Security for Less Than a Latte

July 5, 2021
PowerNET's managed router service helps families and businesses manage their internet network For the cost of one large latte, have peace of mind about your home internet network. PowerNET’s managed router service helps families and businesses maximize their internet use while helping protect everyone connected for just $5 a month,...
Snake River Sockeye

Anti-Hydro Narrative Misses the Big Picture of Climate Change, Equity and Salmon

June 28, 2021
I recently participated in a panel for the CleanTech Alliance on the future of the lower Snake River dams. Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners The panelists had diverse viewpoints, which is a good thing. However, one statement by a co-panelist who advocates for breaching...
Computer Repair and Support , cyber security

4 Ways to Stay Cyber-Secure

June 17, 2021
The internet can be dangerous and scary. We’ve seen the lists of ideas for better cybersecurity. The problem is, the tips aren’t helpful unless we act on them. We know we should use long passwords and change them regularly. But do we? Here are three reasons to encourage you to...
an image of the sun shining a bright yellow and orange light on the clouds, solar energy

Solar Equipment 101

June 12, 2021
If a person had a Rip Van Winkle moment and fell asleep under a tree a decade ago, they would be amazed at how far solar photovoltaic systems have come. Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Once the most expensive form of electricity generation, economies of scale in...