Due to their relatively high energy use, EIL customers present a potential risk to the District from a financial and distribution system operations standpoint. This policy attempts to mitigate those risks and establish parameters for EIL customers that balance stewardship and fiscal responsibility for all the District’s customers while offering cost-effective and reliable electricity to EIL customers.

Transitory EIL is defined as customers that have a commodity-based business model that generate digital assets that are traded similarly to commodities like gold or oil whose electrical load has both of the following attributes:

1. Customer load where electricity is the predominant input to the business production and demand for electricity has significant variability that can be quickly scaled up or down, relocated, or shut off based on external factors such as market conditions, operational decisions, or regulatory changes.
2. Any load where the load factor or total energy consumption is estimated to be or is appreciably higher than:
   1. Previous consumption at the service location, or
   2. Other customers operating in a similarly-sized and type of facility.

Examples include but are not limited to cryptocurrency mining, high-performance computing (HPC) for blockchain validation, AI-powered non-fungible tokens (NFT) generation and trading platform, large-scale digital asset staking, and proof-of-stake (PoS) network validator.

New Transitory EIL customers applying for service, and existing customers who add load within the definition of Transitory EIL, are obligated to notify the District. A customer who fails to report their Transitory EIL status may be subject to immediate disconnection of service, assessment of penalties, and responsible for all damage to the District’s distribution facilities if overload occurs. The District will proactively monitor changes in loads, which may include site visits, to identify potential unreported Transitory EIL customers.

The Large Customer Credit Policy is not applicable to Transitory EIL customers.

Transitory EIL customers must notify the District and complete a Transitory EIL Application for Electric Service under any of the following conditions:

• Establishing new construction,
• Moving into an existing premise, or
• Adding EIL load to an existing location.

Customer Certification and Attestation
All customers applying for service that may qualify as Transitory EIL must certify that all information provided regarding business operations, equipment, load characteristics, and expected energy usage is accurate, complete, and not misleading. Failure to provide accurate information may result in enforcement actions including additional security requirements or disconnection of service.

The District’s Engineering staff will:

• Evaluate the projected load,
• Design required line extensions or distribution system improvements to meet the service request, and 
• Determine any costs in aid of construction that the customer must pay.

The District may impose limits on Transitory EIL customer penetration for specific distribution facilities.

See the District’s Line Extension and Facilities Construction Policy for additional information.

Failure by a customer to disclose that their load meets the definition of a Transitory EIL, whether at the initiation of service or upon subsequent load expansion, shall be considered a misclassification of service.

Upon identification of an undisclosed or misrepresented Transitory EIL, the District may recover all costs incurred in investigating and correcting the service, including engineering, administrative, legal, metering, and infrastructure repair costs resulting from the load.

If the District identifies a Transitory EIL load that has not been applied for or disclosed as required, the customer may be required to immediately cease EIL operations until the customer submits and receives approval of a complete EIL Application for Electric Service and satisfies all applicable engineering, construction, financial, and security requirements established by the District. Failure to cease EIL operations may result in immediate disconnection of electric service. The District’s decision to temporarily delay enforcement or allow continuation of service shall not constitute a waiver of its rights under this policy.

Failure to comply with Transitory EIL disclosure obligations, deposit requirements, billing timelines, or District-directed operational limits may result in immediate disconnection of electric service. The District shall not be required to reconnect service until the customer has submitted all required applications, paid all applicable deposits and charges, and achieved full compliance with District policies and rate schedule requirements.

Transitory EIL customers shall provide security deposits and be billed for usage under the Standard billing option. The One Month Prepay Billing Option is closed to new enrollment and is available only to Transitory EIL accounts that were established and actively enrolled in the One Month Prepay Billing Option prior to March 10, 2026, and that continue to meet all ongoing eligibility requirements. 

The required security deposit for Transitory EIL customers shall equal two months of estimated maximum billing, calculated using the applicable rate schedule and based on the maximum potential load at the service location. Deposit calculations assume a minimum 90% load factor and consider factors such as the distribution system infrastructure, transformer capacity, and customer panel size. The District may work with the customer to align the timing of deposit payments with the customer’s equipment installation or load development plans; however, such coordination shall not reduce the total required deposit amount.

Security deposits required under this policy are intended solely as financial security and shall not be construed as a limitation or cap on the customer’s financial responsibility.

Transitory EIL customers remain fully responsible for all costs incurred by the District as a result of their electric service, including but not limited to energy charges, distribution system impacts, and damage to District facilities, regardless of the amount of any deposit held.

If a Transitory EIL customer temporarily ceases to operate but intends to keep their account open and established payment option(s) available, the District reserves the right to hold the deposit until final close of the account.

Upon closure of a Transitory EIL account, the District will apply any security deposit held to the customer’s final billing, including unpaid energy charges, demand charges, administrative costs, damage to District facilities, or any other amount authorized under District policy, rate schedules, or applicable law.

If a deposit balance remains after all obligations have been satisfied, the remaining amount will be refunded in the name of the primary account holder. Refunds are generally processed within four to six weeks; however, additional time may be required to complete final billing, account verification, or other necessary administrative processing. 

Transitory EIL customers are required to comply with accelerated timelines, including but not limited to, disconnection of service for failure to meet payment obligations.

Standard Option

• Billing:
  • Customer will be billed on a monthly basis with bills due in 20 days.  
  • If the bill is not paid by the due date, the District will notify the customer of the past due amount and of the pending disconnection of electric service via the email on the Benton PUD account. 
    • The account is subject to disconnection one day after the notification of past due is provided.
• Deposit:
  • A standard deposit equal to two months of estimated maximum billing is required and will be based on the methodology described above.
  • 50% of the deposit must be paid before service will be provided. 
  • The remaining 50% will be billed on the first day of service and must be paid within 20 days.
  • After service has been established, the District may re-evaluate the customer’s actual usage and adjust the deposit amount as necessary to ensure it remains equal to two months of maximum billing at that location. 
  • The standard deposit amount is subject to ongoing review and may be increased at the District’s discretion based on changes in load or operating conditions.
    • The District will notify the customer of the additional deposit amount via the email on the Benton PUD account. 
    • The additional deposit amount is due in five calendar days from the date of notification.
    • The electric service is subject to immediate disconnection if the additional deposit amount is not paid within five calendar days of the email notification.
  • Deposits will be retained for the life of the account.

One Month Prepay Billing Option

Effective March 10, 2026, the One Month Prepay Billing Option for Transitory EIL customers is closed to new enrollment. No new or existing customers who are not actively enrolled as of that date may select or re-elect this option.

Transitory EIL customers actively enrolled in the One Month Prepay Billing Option as of March 10, 2026, may continue participation, provided they remain in good standing and maintain continuous service under the same account. Eligibility to continue under this option applies only to the specific service account and locations enrolled as of March 10, 2026, and is not transferable to another account, customer, location, affiliated entity, or successor in interest. Customers who discontinue participation, change account ownership, or service transfer after March 10, 2026, will not be eligible to re-enroll.

Upon transition from the Prepay option to the Standard option for any reason, the customer must pay any additional deposit required to meet the Standard two month deposit requirement prior to continuation of service.

• Prepay/Billing:
  • Must be in Bill Cycle 1.
  • Prior to the start of service, the customer must pay an amount equal to one month of estimated billing, calculated using:
    • The appropriate rate schedule
    • An assumed minimum 90% load factor, and
    • The maximum potential load based on infrastructure capacity (transformer, panel size, etc.).
  • Upon issuance of the first billing reflecting actual usage, the customer must pay:
    • An additional amount equal to one month of estimated billing, as calculated above, due upon issuance of the bill, to replenish and maintain a rolling one month prepayment balance, since the initial estimated payment will be applied to the first month’s actual charges, and
    • The invoiced amount in full by the due date stated on the bill.
  • Thereafter, customers shall be billed monthly based on actual usage, and payment shall be due in accordance with the standard billing due date.
  • If a bill is not paid by the due date, the District will notify the customer of the past due amount and of the pending disconnection of electric service via the email on the Benton PUD account. 
    • The account is subject to disconnection one day after the notification of past due is provided.
  • Customer must enter into a Payment Terms/Hold Harmless Agreement with the District.
• Deposit:
  • A deposit equal to one month’s estimated billing is required.  
  • The deposit must be paid in full before service will be provided.
  • The deposit is subject to ongoing review and may be increased at the District’s discretion based on changes in load or operating conditions.
    • The District will notify the customer of the additional deposit amount via the email on the Benton PUD account. 
    • The additional deposit amount is due in five calendar days from the date of notification.
    • The electric service is subject to immediate disconnection if the additional deposit amount is not paid within five calendar days of the email notification.
  • Deposits will be retained for the life of the account.
• Loss of Eligibility for Prepay Option:
  • Continued eligibility for the One Month Prepay Billing Option is contingent upon timely and complete payment of all required prepayments and any other debit balances. If a Transitory EIL customer fails to make payment by the required due date, the District may, at its discretion: 
    • Remove the customer from the One Month Prepay Billing Option and require the customer to transition to the Standard billing option and must pay any additional deposit required to meet the Standard two month deposit requirement prior to continuation of service; and/or
    • Impose additional payment security provisions as necessary to protect the District and its customers from financial risk.

The District’s total annual energy consumption exceeds its firm allocation of wholesale power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Any load above this allocation, including new incremental load, is served at BPA’s Tier 2 rate. Both the Tier 2 rate and the District’s corresponding Tier 2 load amount are established as part of the rate-setting process for the duration of BPA’s rate period, which is typically two years. The transitory and volatile load associated with EIL customers presents a financial risk to the rest of the District’s customers. 

To mitigate and balance that risk the District will aggregate all Transitory EIL loads of the customer regardless of location and if the total non-coincidental demand exceeds 3,500 kW, all services will be subject to the District’s Large Electricity Intensive Load Rate Schedule 35. In this case the customer will thereafter be governed primarily by the terms of the power sales contract, in addition to applicable District policies.

A Transitory EIL Customer is defined as an individual or entity who has the ultimate financial responsibility and decision authority to operate on a daily basis for one or more Transitory EIL accounts regardless of the name or UBI associated with each account. For example, if multiple entities have the same parent company or corporate officers or partners, they will be treated as one customer.

Transitory EIL Customer’s Aggregated Non-Coincidental Demand is less than 3,500 kW
If the Transitory EIL Customer’s total Transitory EIL non-coincidental demand is under 3,500 kW, the appropriate rate schedule will be assigned for each service based on their initial load and service location. Transitory EIL customers located where a residential rate schedule would normally be applied will be assigned the residential rate. Transitory EIL customers will transition to other applicable rate schedules as determined by the District’s policies. It is the customer’s responsibility to notify the District when these thresholds have been met, or if other changes have occurred (installation of equipment, or other changes in load) that may make them eligible for a different rate schedule.

Transitory EIL Customer’s Aggregated Non-Coincidental Demand is greater than 3,500 kW
When an existing customer’s non-coincidental demand exceeds 3,500 kW, the District will notify the customer by letter or email that their non-coincidental demand must be immediately reduced to under 3,500 kW and a power sales contract will be required if the customer intends to exceed 3,500 kW demand in the future. If the customer fails to reduce non-coincidental demand to under 3,500 kW and a power sales contract is not in place, immediate disconnection of service will result. If the customer reduces their non-coincidental demand to under 3,500 kW but then subsequently exceeds this threshold a second time, immediate disconnection of service will result until a power sales contract is in place. Final determination of the appropriate rate schedule is at the District’s discretion.