Electricity Intensive Load (EIL) is defined as customers 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.
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: server farms, an aggregation of microprocessor-based computing equipment within a building (e.g. home, garage/shop or business), structure (shipping container or other container), or special purpose data centers.

New EIL customers applying for service, and existing customers who add load within the definition of EIL, are obligated to notify the District. A customer who fails to report their EIL status may be responsible for damages to the District’s distribution facilities if overload occurs. The District will proactively monitor changes in loads to identify potential unreported EIL customers.

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 of the District’s customers while offering cost-effective and reliable electricity to EIL customers.

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

EIL customers will provide security deposits and be billed for usage according to either the Standard or One Month Prepay Options. Customers on a Residential or Small General Service rate schedule will only be eligible for the Standard Option. The methodology used for deposits will be the appropriate rate schedule using maximum potential load based on the cumulative nameplate rating of the customers installed equipment and an assumed minimum load factor of 80%, if 12 months of billing history does not exist. The District may work with the customer to align the deposit amount with the customer’s equipment installation and load development plans, or operating history.

If an 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.

EIL customers are required to respond to accelerated timelines, including but not limited to, disconnection of service for not complying with the payment terms.

Standard Option

1. Billing:
   1. Customer will be billed on a monthly basis with bills due in 20 days.
   2. 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 registered email on the Benton PUD account.
      1. The account is subject to disconnection one day after the notification of past due is provided.
2. Deposit:
   1. A standard deposit will be required and will consist of two month’s billing based on the method described above.
   2. One half of a standard deposit must be paid before service will be provided. The second half will be billed on the first day service is provided and must be paid within 20 days.
   3. After a deposit has initially been established, the District may re-evaluate actual usage and increase or decrease the amount of the deposit so that it equals two times the monthly billing at that location.
   4. The standard deposit amount will be frequently reviewed and subject to change at the District’s discretion, subject to increased usage.
      1. The District will notify the customer of the additional deposit amount and due date via the registered email on the Benton PUD account.
      2. The additional deposit amount is due in five calendar days from the date of notification.
      3. The electric service is subject to disconnection if the additional deposit amount is not paid within five calendar days of the email notification.
   5. Deposits will be retained for the life of the account.
      

One Month Prepay Billing Option

1. Prepay/Billing:
   1. One month’s estimated billing, using the same methodology, will be estimated to initiate the first payment, using the appropriate rate schedule and assuming a minimum 80% load factor, based on the maximum potential load at the location given the distribution system infrastructure, transformer size, and customer panel size.
      1. If an acceptable load development plan has been provided to the District, the prepay amount may be calculated based on the loads provided in the plan.
   2. Subsequent prepay amounts will be based on the previous month’s actual usage, or customer load development plan, if provided.
   3. The prepayment for the subsequent month must be paid by the 25th of each month.
   4. Actual usage for the previous month will be calculated on the first of each subsequent month.
   5. The difference between the prepayment and actual usage, if a debit balance, must be paid by the 25th of the month.
      1. A credit balance will be applied to the next month’s prepayment.
   6. Customer must enter into a Payment Terms/Hold Harmless Agreement with the District.
2. Deposit:
   1. 25% of one month’s deposit will be required and will be based on the methodology described above.
   2. The deposit must be paid in full prior to service being provided.
   3. After a deposit has initially been established, the District may re-evaluate actual usage and adjust the amount of the deposit so that it equals the monthly billing at that location.
   4. Deposits will be retained for the life of the account.

When the aggregate non-coincidental demand of all EIL loads of an EIL customer exceed 3,500 kW, the customer will be subject to the Large Electricity Intensive Load Rate Schedule 35. Under this rate schedule, a power sales contract must be negotiated with the District. See Assignment of Rate Schedules below. In this case the customer is exempted from this EIL policy, and the terms of the contract will apply.

EIL customers who are requiring new construction, who are moving into an existing premise, or existing customers who are adding EIL load at their current location, are required to notify the District that their load meets the definition of EIL and must complete an Electricity Intensive Load Application for Electric Service. Engineering staff will evaluate the projected customer load and design any necessary line extension or distribution system improvements to meet the service request. EIL customers are required to pay some or all of the costs in aid to construction of these new or upgraded facilities and the District reserves the right to set maximum EIL customer penetration levels for specific distribution facilities.

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

If the District identifies an EIL load that has not been applied for, the customer will be asked to immediately cease EIL operation. At such time, an application must be submitted to the District to assess distribution system requirements. All applicable fees and deposits must be paid before EIL operations can resume. Failure to cease operations will result in immediate disconnection of service.

If the customer fails to notify the District that they meet the definition of EIL, and equipment failure occurs as a result of their load, the customer will be required to pay time and material charges for repair of District equipment that is damaged as a result. Failure to pay these charges may result in disconnection of service. 

The total energy consumption by District customers on an annual basis exceeds our firm allocation of wholesale energy resources provided by the Bonneville Power Administration which may require the District to make wholesale electricity purchases to balance demand and supply. On a more granular basis, such as daily or hourly, the District has substantial wholesale energy deficits during certain times of the year where additional supply must be procured. The District performs long-term planning for power supply to mitigate the operational and financial risk of wholesale power supply deficits which requires contractually binding commitments including but not limited to long-term resource acquisition, procurement of short or long term physical call options, and the use of financial hedging. As more and more firm dispatchable generation is retired in the pacific northwest region, these future contractual commitments are expected to become more difficult to secure and may come with higher costs. EIL loads operate in an extremely price sensitive and volatile market where loads must be scaled back quickly if it is uneconomical to run. The transitory and volatile load associated with EIL customers is not compatible with long-term electric utility power supply planning and presents a financial risk to the rest of the District’s customers. As a way to mitigate and balance that risk the District will aggregate all 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.

An 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 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.

EIL Customer’s Aggregated Non-Coincidental Demand is less than 3,500 kW

If the EIL Customer’s total 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. EIL customers located where a residential rate schedule would normally be applied will be assigned the residential rate. EIL customers on a commercial schedule 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.

EIL Customer’s Aggregated Non-Coincidental Demand is greater than 3,500 kW

The District will aggregate all EIL loads of the EIL 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. When an existing customer’s non-coincidental demand exceeds 3,500 kW, the District will notify the customer by letter or email that their noncoincidental 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.