Recent Co-op News

Mail-in ballots - a green mailbox with a red flag up

Mail-in Ballots Due July 13 for Trustee Districts 2, 3 Election

Benton REA is governed by eight trustees who each represent a district of members. These trustees are elected by you—Benton REA members—to serve three-year terms. Members who live in districts 2 and 3 will receive a ballot in June for the 2022 trustee election. Each membership receives one vote. Members...
A ductless heat pump outdoor unit. Photo by Lincoln Barbour, courtesy of NEEA.

Rebates Increase for Low-Income Homeowners

Rebates for heat pumps and hybrid electric water heaters have significantly increased for homeowners who qualify as low-income. Benton REA is making $100,000 available to members through September 2023.  For heat pump upgrades and conversions from another heating system, the rebate is now as much as $6,200. The installation of...
Buddy Treadway Headshot

Buddy Treadway Resigns From Benton REA Board

Buddy Treadway attended his last Benton REA board meeting as a trustee on May 26. Buddy was elected in 2007 and has faithfully served the members of District 1 for 15 years. With more free time, Buddy and his wife, Virginia, plan to take one day at a time with...
A house shaded by landscaping trees and bushes

Plant Money-Saving Landscaping

Solar heat absorbed through windows and roofs makes your air conditioner work harder and consume more electricity. But incorporating shading into your landscape design can help reduce both solar heat gain and your electricity bill. Shading from trees can reduce surrounding air temperatures as much as 9° F. Because cool...
A screenshot of the charger finder map at www.BentonREA.org/EV. It shows multiple pins at Electric vehicle charging stations from Yakima, Washington, to Tri-Cities.

BentonREA.org/EV Makes Finding an EV Charger Easy

Did you know there are more than 30 public electric vehicle charging stations between Pasco and Yakima? You can find any public charging station in the country at www.BentonREA.org/EV. Click the “Charger Finder” tab and search by zip code, type of charger and type of connector. If you’re planning a...
Electrical Safety Month Half-Page Ad

Prioritize Safety Year-Round

Benton REA recognizes Electrical Safety Month every May, but it is also important to practice safety year-round.  According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, thousands of people in the U.S. are critically injured or electrocuted as a result of electrical fires and accidents in their own homes. Many of these...
a boy in a plaid short sleeve shirt and a plastic safety orange hard hat stand with his hands on his hips

2022 Kids’ Electrical Safety Poster Contest

Posters are due Thursday, June 16, for this year’s Electrical Safety Poster Contest. All elementary-age children whose parents or guardians are Benton REA members with active electric accounts are eligible. Prizes will be distributed at the Benton REA Annual Meeting on Saturday, July 16, in West Richland. The following prizes...
Image of a young Caucasian woman plugging together two power cords with a river flowing behind. The image is zoomed in on her hands. It symbolizes how water and hydropower powers our lives.

You Need Hyrdopower and Hydropower Needs You – Write In Today

Hydropower and many other benefits of the lower Snake River Dams are under attack. This year the voices of proponents of dam breaching are being heard by state and federal politicians. Our representatives need to hear your voice, too. Deadline Approaching to Speak Up for Hydropower A public process to...
eight portraits of 2022 Benton REA scholarship recipients. Text says their names and "Congratulation, 2022 Scholarship Recipients".

2022 Scholarship Recipients

Eight local seniors are the recipients of $52,000 in scholarships from Benton REA. All three recipients of the cooperative’s $4,000 Trade & Technical scholarship are from West Richland. They are Coral Bears, daughter of Jim and Jennifer Bears; Ethan Henning, son of Jake and Diana Henning; and Garrett Collins, son...
Benton REA planted two threes at Wine Country RV Park on April 13 as a part of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Line USA program. Pictured from left: Brian Cramer, area utility tree coordinator; Troy Berglund, Benton REA vice president of member services; Louann Rockney, Wine Country RV Park manager; Mike Freepons, Benton REA trustee.

Benton REA Plants Trees at Wine Country RV Park

Visitors to Prosser’s Wine Country RV Park will enjoy two new trees donated by Benton REA on April 13, Washington State Arbor Day. Benton REA planted a Linden tree and a Hot Wings Maple tree because they will only grow 25 to 30 feet tall at maturity. They were planted...
Benton REA employees and trustees hold Tree Line USA flag at Horn Rapids Park in 2021

Arbor Day Foundation Recognizes Benton REA as Tree Line USA Utility

Benton REA was named a 2022 Tree Line USA utility by the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of its dedication to proper urban forest management. Tree Line USA—a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters—recognizes utilities for pursuing best practices that protect and cultivate...
Lightning strikes ground, dark blue clouds hang above. Lightning is the most common cause of a power surge.

Surge Protection for $6 A Month

A power surge is an unexpected increase in voltage. Regardless of the cause, power surges can damage electronics in your home. Benton REA offers surge protection at your electric meter for only $6 a month. But first, let's look at common causes of power surges and how you can protect...