Recent Co-op News
Electric rates remain stable
On Wednesday, September 19, 2018, a news reporter incorrectly stated that Benton REA will raise rates $10 per member to cover the cost of the spill over the Columbia and Snake River dams. Benton REA will NOT be raising rates due to the 2018 spill. In April 2018, the Bonneville...
Farm Workers Reap a Safe Harvest
It can be an exciting and exhausting time, the culmination of a season of hard work. However, the rush to harvest can also yield tragic outcomes. Each year, dozens of farm workers are killed and hundreds are injured in accidents involving power lines and electrical equipment. “Things people see every...
Is Wireless Internet Right For Me?
Since 1997, Benton REA has served the Mid-Columbia and Lower Yakima Valleys with fast, reliable and safe internet through PowerNET. If you are new to the area, or just want to know more about your internet options, take a look at the answers to these frequently asked questions about PowerNET...
Manager’s Message – September 2018
Dear Members, I’m inviting you to join me and some of the Benton REA staff at the RiverFest 2018 event, a festival showcasing all the benefits of our local rivers and hydrosystem. RiverFest will be held Saturday, September 8, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the east end of Columbia...
See You At RiverFest – Sept. 8
Admission is free to this fun, family-friendly event being held Saturday, September 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the east end of Columbia Park in Kennewick. Benton REA has joined other local utilities, businesses, community organizations and people of all walks of life throughout the region to host RiverFest...
Co-op Solar Sells Out in 8 Days
On Monday, August 13, just eight days after members were able to enroll in Co-op Solar, the project sold out! “We are pleased with the response from our members,” said Troy Berglund, community development and member relations manager. “Our members obviously feel that solar energy is a worthwhile investment.” All 550...
Farm Bros Sing About 811
Did you know digging without first calling 811 increases the chances you’ll knock out utility service to you and your neighbor? Don’t make a judgment call, make a phone call. Call 811 a few days before digging of any kind to have underground utilities marked. An underground line is damaged...
Manager’s Message – August 2018
Dear Members, An exciting opportunity is available to you this month. I’d like to personally invite you to participate in Benton REA’s first community solar project! Co-op Solar is a 30.12 kW solar array that will be funded by Benton REA members and built on Van Giesen Street across from...
Board Seeks District 4 Trustee
Mark Platt resigned effective June 30, 2018, from the Benton REA Board of Trustee. Mark and Ellen Platt moved to the Red Mountain area from Idaho Falls in 1998. In 2007 he joined the Benton REA Board and served as its Secretary/Treasurer for four years. During his 11 years of...
Member Warns Others of Telephone Scam
“May I speak with whoever is responsible for the power bill,” said a voice over the telephone line. Thankfully, the Benton REA member who took this phone call on Thursday, July 19, 2018, understood that it was a scam attempt and hung up the phone. “The call sounded like an...
Benton REA Hosts Community Solar Classes
Join your neighbors at Benton REA’s upcoming Cooperative Solar class or online webinars to learn how you can help bring community solar to West Richland. This summer, Benton REA members can participate in the co-op’s first community solar project. Enrollment opens Monday, August 6, 2018, for 550 solar blocks in...
6th Graders and Benton REA Plant Trees for Cleaner Air
Future students, parents and visitors of Leona Libby Middle School track events will breathe easier and stay cooler under four new trees planted by students and Benton REA trustees. This spring, students in Mrs. Debbie Ellefson’s 6th grade science classes researched the causes of climate change and the effects of...
