No. Project-specific costs are not passed on to existing members. Large-load members are responsible for the costs associated with serving their load. In addition, high-load-factor commercial members can provide additional revenue that helps support grid modernization, safety and reliability and can help mitigate future rate increases for other members.
Data Centers
No. Under Benton REA’s policy, requesting data centers must secure and fund their own dedicated power supply. This protects the cooperative’s BPA allocation and helps ensure existing members’ access to that resource is not affected.
Benton REA's policy is designed specifically to prevent that. Data centers must secure and fund their own dedicated power supply rather than relying on Benton REA's low-cost BPA allocation.
No. Benton REA has an obligation to evaluate requests for electric service fairly and consistently and cannot arbitrarily deny service based on the type of load. That responsibility applies to everyone from residential members to large commercial and industrial loads.
No. Large projects must pay their own way. Under Benton REA’s board-approved policy, a requesting data center must pay for the infrastructure required specifically to serve its load, including substations, lines and necessary system reinforcements.
No. Benton REA evaluates service requests using established policies and engineering requirements.
Possibly. Larger loads may provide diversified revenue to the cooperative. That revenue can support investment in grid safety, modernization and reliability and help spread fixed system costs across a broader member base.
Potentially, yes. When a large project funds new substations, lines and system reinforcements, that investment can expand system capacity and strengthen the electric grid.