Benton Rural Electric Association

What Benton Rural Electric Association does

Benton Rural Electric Association is a not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperative founded in 1937 and headquartered in Prosser, Washington. It distributes electricity to residential, agricultural, and commercial end-users within a defined service territory in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State, operating as one of three public electric utilities in the region alongside Benton PUD and Franklin PUD. The cooperative generates revenue primarily through monthly subscription-based electricity sales to its member-owners, with rates structured within a regulatory framework tied to its wholesale supplier.

The cooperative's core technical asset is its owned electrical distribution infrastructure, through which it delivers power sourced from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). In preparation for contracts taking effect in 2028, Benton REA has signed a 16-year power purchase agreement with BPA under the Provider of Choice initiative, securing long-term access to hydroelectric power from the federal Columbia River Power System. This agreement is intended to provide cost and rate stability for both the utility and its members, though BPA has signaled future wholesale rate increases of approximately 2% in 2028 rising to 5% by the end of the contract period due to drained financial reserves.

Benton REA operates with 11-50 employees and is governed as a member-owned cooperative with no parent company, no external institutional investors, and no public ticker. In November 2024, the cooperative acquired PowerNet for an undisclosed amount, indicating a modest broadening of service capabilities beyond pure electricity distribution. The company maintains a website at bentonrea.org and is classified as a private, non-profit rural electric cooperative.

Name

Benton Rural Electric Association

Legal name

Benton Rural Electric Association

Website

https://bentonrea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Benton Rural Electric Association is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative founded in 1937 that distributes electricity to residential, agricultural, and commercial customers in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State under a 16-year BPA power purchase agreement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities (EUADABAD)

Keywords

• Rural electric cooperative
• Electricity distribution services
• Power supply utility
• Consumer-owned utility
• Electrical grid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Prosser

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Benton Rural Electric Association generates revenue through electricity distribution and sales to residential and commercial customers within its defined service territory in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. As a rural electric cooperative, revenue comes from providing electricity to end-user customers.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Benton Rural Electric Association is a not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperative that distributes and sells electricity to residential, agricultural, and commercial end-users within its defined service territory in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. The cooperative sources wholesale power primarily through a long-term agreement with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), gaining access to federal hydroelectric power from the Columbia River Power System.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Electricity Distribution Service
• Agricultural Electricity Distribution Service
• Commercial Electricity Distribution Service

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2028Benton Rural Electric Association has signed a 16-year power purchase agreement with BPA as part of the agency's Provider of Choice initiative. The agreement, taking effect in 2028, aims to provide cost and rate stability for the utility and its customers. BPA provides hydroelectric power from the federal Columbia River Power System. Despite BPA reporting net revenues of $74 million for fiscal year 2025, the agency will increase power rates due to drained financial reserves, seeking to collect up to $40 million via a surcharge.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Snohomish County PUD: Snohomish County PUD is the largest PUD in Washington State and a fellow BPA customer, providing comparable electric distribution services to residential and commercial customers within Washington under similar wholesale power arrangements.
• Cowlitz County PUD: Cowlitz County PUD provides electric distribution in southwest Washington under a comparable BPA-relationship framework and serves a similar mix of residential, commercial, and industrial customers in a defined Pacific Northwest service territory.
• Grant County PUD: Grant County PUD owns and operates hydroelectric generation and distribution in central Washington, sharing BPA system dynamics and serving comparable agricultural and residential loads in the Pacific Northwest.
• Chelan County PUD: Chelan County PUD operates electric distribution in north-central Washington, with overlapping BPA relationships and a similar mix of residential, agricultural, and commercial customers. It serves as a relevant regional benchmark for utility operating performance.

Direct peers

• Pedernales Electric Cooperative: Pedernales Electric Cooperative is one of the largest member-owned electric cooperatives in the United States, serving a rural and exurban Texas service territory. It provides a directly comparable cooperative operating model, member-owned structure, and regulatory framework for benchmarking Benton REA.
• Seminole Electric Cooperative: Seminole Electric Cooperative is a generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution co-ops across Florida, sharing the consumer-owned cooperative structure and wholesale power supply focus that defines Benton REA's operating model.
• Franklin County Public Utility District (Franklin PUD): Franklin PUD is the third public electric utility in the Tri-Cities area, sharing the same regional customer base and wholesale power supply dynamics from BPA. It directly competes with Benton REA for residential and commercial loads in adjacent service territory.
• Benton County Public Utility District (Benton PUD): Benton PUD is one of three public electric utilities operating in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State alongside Benton REA and Franklin PUD. It serves overlapping residential, commercial, and agricultural customers in the same geographic market under a similar regulatory framework.
• Big Bend Electric Cooperative: Big Bend Electric Cooperative is a small member-owned electric cooperative serving rural customers in central Washington, offering a closely comparable cooperative scale, rural service model, and Pacific Northwest operating context to Benton REA.

Broad incumbents

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): NRECA is the national trade association representing electric cooperatives across the United States, including Benton REA. It represents the broader industry umbrella, policy advocacy, and shared services relevant to Benton REA's operating context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bentonrea
• Facebookfacebook.com/bentonrea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/benton-rural-electric-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Benton Rural Electric Association