News and Announcements

2026

Federal Home Energy Rebate Programs Move Forward Under Revised Rules

September 15, 2026

The U.S. Department of Energy has released revised guidance for the federal Home Energy Rebate programs, allowing states to move forward after significant delays and uncertainty. The programs are now…

BEL Helps Mississippi Utilities Advance $13.8 Million in Grid Modernization Grants

July 30, 2026

BEL, through technical assistance supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission and a contract with the Mississippi Development Authority, helped 12 Mississippi electric utilities advance to the next stage of consideration…

BEL Assists Electric Infrastructure Grant to upgrade Niles, Ohio Power Grid and Bring Jobs

June 12, 2026

NILES — Niles city officials on Monday announced the receipt of a $402,500 federal grant to expand electrical capacity on its west side, paving the way for the expansion of…

BEL Assists Small Communities in Pennsylvania Grid Resilience (GRG) Secure Electric Infrastructure Funding

April 9, 2026

In a March 16, 2026 press release, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced $10 million in grid resiliency awards under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Grid Resilience State/Tribal Formula…

BEL 2026 Prospectus

January 21, 2026

We have been busy here at BEL, and we see a lot of opportunity to fill information gaps and keep up with basic trends that are sometimes lost in the…

2025

New Brattle Report Evaluates the Benefits from a Decade of Beneficial Electrification

November 18, 2025

New Brattle Report Finds Beneficial Electrification Programs Have Contributed to Billions in Cost Savings to US Households and Millions in Emissions Reductions over the Last Decade WASHINGTON— Harnessing the benefits of…

BEL Assists Municipal Utilities in Georgia Secure Grid Resilience Funding

November 13, 2025

This post reproduces information from a November 13 post by the American Public Power Association Electric Cities of Georgia Members Secure Awards to Grid Resilience, Modernization | American Public Power…

BEL 2025 Mid-Year Review

July 14, 2025

At this time last year, our mid-year review noted that we were in the “middle of a marathon.” Today, a year later, we believe we’re still in that marathon—but now…

The Big, Beautiful Bill and National Environmental Policy Act

July 7, 2025

On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). The law includes several provisions that may impact cooperatives, including: Direct Pay continued: Maintains the elective payment…

How Wind, Solar & Thermal Storage Saved Rural Minnesota Over $1 Million — A Leading Example of Beneficial Electrification in Action

July 1, 2025

In May 2025, our partners at Lake Region Electric Cooperative (LREC) marked a milestone on a beneficial electrification project that BEL was involved with in the earliest days of our organization….

100 Days Into New Administration, Shifts in Policy Settle In

May 15, 2025

President Trump has significantly altered the direction of U.S. energy policy, reducing funding for clean energy programs and increasing support for fossil fuel development and infrastructure. In this new political…

USDA Lifts Freeze on REAP/New ERA/PACE Funds

March 25, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has lifted the freeze on three of its most substantial programs funding electric sector infrastructure investments. The action comes after the Trump administration’s Unleashing American…

La Plata Electric – Community Power: All-Electric Homes Showcase in Pagosa Springs, CO

March 12, 2025

La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) helps fund Colorado’s Affordable Residential Energy Program (CARE), which provides weatherization and energy efficiency rebates for income-qualified members. LPEA partners with Four Corners Office for…

2024

BEL’s Technical Support Secures $28M in GRIP Funding to Transform Grid Infrastructure in Rural Communities

October 18, 2024

“RESIST Disruptions Project” to Strengthen Grid Resilience and Mitigate Disruptions Across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania As part of the Appalachian Region Community-Owned Grid Resilient Infrastructure Project (ARCO-GRIP), ARC…

BEL Awarded a $4.5M Technical Support Grant to Help Implement Electric Infrastructure Investments in Appalachia

September 4, 2024

BEL is honored and excited to be awarded a five-year $4,500,000 funding grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC): 2024.09 ARISE Project Snapshot-Beneficial Electrification League (arc.gov). The Appalachian Region Community-Owned…

BEL’s technical support helps unlock $13.7M in infrastructure funds for Appalachian communities in Pennsylvania

August 2, 2024

ARC planning grant technical support helps unlock $13.7M in infrastructure funds for Appalachian communities in Pennsylvania As part of the Appalachian Region Community-Owned Grid Resilient Infrastructure Project (ARCO-GRIP), ARC awardee…

BEL 2024 Mid-Year Review – Billions of dollars in BEL-Assisted Infrastructure Projects Move Forward

July 1, 2024

Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was enacted in 2021, BEL has been hard at work providing grant assistance to utility coalitions, municipalities, electric cooperatives, and Tribes across the country. Our…

For small utilities, state and tribal grid funds offer opportunities – BEL has been busy helping navigate the programs.

February 7, 2024

Providing reliable and affordable electricity is the core job of every electric utility. Yet, today, in the United States, power outages are becoming more frequent and lasting longer. For a…

2024

2023

2022

$9 Billion for Home Energy Upgrades—But Can We Spend It Wisely? The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will pay up to $14,000 upfront for a low- or moderate-income family to efficiently electrify and weatherize their home, with lower but still generous rebates available to all households.

November 2022

Electric Buses: A Win-Win-Win for Schools, Rural Utilities, and GHG Mitigation There’s a lot to like about electric school buses: lower operating costs, healthier air for riders and neighbors, no direct GHG emissions, a quieter ride, more torque for climbing steep slopes, electricity revenues and the potential for V2G demand response for utilities.

November 2022

BEL Continues to Provide Input to DOE on How to Invest Billions for Grid Resilience and Innovation Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOE has $10.5 billion to spend over five years to, “prevent outages and enhance the resilience of the electric grid, deploy technologies to enhance grid flexibility, and demonstrate innovative approaches to power sector infrastructure resilience and reliability.”

November 2022

Electric Buses Coming to Rural and Small Communities Across the Country The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) heralded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement that 389 school districts will be receiving new electric school buses funded by the EPA’s Clean Bus Program.

October 2022

“Colorado Electrification Leadership Summit” Oct. 27 Convenes Energy Leaders, Highlights New Federal Incentives Billions of dollars in grants, tax credits, and other federal funding coming for electric transportation infrastructure, city and utility electrification programs, electrifying residential and commercial buildings, upgrading school buildings and fleets, weatherizing & electrifying low-income housing, and more.

October 2022

BEL Announces CoBank Support for Electric School Bus Initiative Today the Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) announced foundational sponsorship support from CoBank to support the League’s ongoing electric school bus initiative. The grant will support BEL’s outreach to utilities and school districts encouraging participation in a federally funded electric school bus rebate program for the year ahead.

September 2022

Sponsor Spotlight
Steffes Reaches for the Holy Grail of Efficient Water Heating with Origin To realize the full benefits of electrifying the U.S. economy, water heating in millions of homes must be converted from gas or propane to efficient electric technologies. And converting multi-family buildings to efficient heat pump water heating is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of residential electrification...

September 2022

Webinar: Inflation Reduction Act Programs Supporting Electrification and Efficiency Beneficial Electrification League CEO Keith Dennis and Ryan Dougherty, COO at the Geothermal Exchange Organization, break down the many provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act supporting energy efficiency, weatherization and electrification in this webinar.

August 2022

Keith Dennis, BEL CEO, interviewed by KLAS Las Vegas about "Electrify Nevada" Clark County looking at renewable energy options with Electrify Nevada event.

August 2022

Keith Dennis Interviewed on The Jim Leach Show Jim Leach, WMAY News, Springfield, Il, interviewed Keith Dennis, BEL's CEO, on the Illinois Electrification Leadership Summit.

August 2022

Alex Hofmann Joins the Beneficial Electrification League The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) is delighted to announce that Alex Hofmann has joined as Chief Strategy and Operations Officer.

July 2022

Beneficial Electrification League Announces “Weatherization-Electrification Together” The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) today announced the launch of “Weatherization-Electrification Together,” a national initiative to electrify low- and moderate-income and disadvantaged communities.

May 2022

Energy Leaders Convene May 9 at “Electrify Nevada!” The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) and broad array of public and private sector stakeholders are convening dozens of Nevada’s top energy leaders Monday, May 9, 2022, at “Electrify Nevada,”...

May 2022

Try it – You’ll Like It! Connected Communities, Like EVs, Are Appealing to Those Who Experience Them

February 2022

BEL’s Input to the EPA on its Clean School Bus Program This week, the Beneficial Electrification League sent comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on its Clean School Bus program. Our message was simple and straightforward...

February 2022

Beneficial Electrification League Launches Electric School Bus Initiative The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) today announced a new initiative to accelerate the deployment of electric school buses (ESBs) in electric cooperative service territories throughout the country.

January 2022

Electrification Grants: Beneficial Electrification League program helps co-ops promote electric uses locally When leaders at Beartooth Electric Cooperative in Montana were looking to offset the costs of a project that would bring the benefits of electricity use and efficiency to an affordable housing development, they turned to an unlikely financing source.

January 2022

2021

Montana Co-op Helps Build Affordable All-Electric Home In south-central Montana, where winters deliver frequent sub-zero days, yesterday's heat pumps have gotten a pretty bad rap. But an electric cooperative is on a mission to change that with an all-electric home equipped with advanced technology that can keep residents warm and save money.

December 2021

Beneficial Electrification League Names Keith Dennis President The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) announced today that Keith Dennis, former Vice President of Business and Technology Strategies at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), will become the BEL’s President effective immediately.

December 2021

BEL’s Input to the USDA on the New Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiative The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) was pleased to provide input to the USDA on the new Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiative via comments solicited through a request for stakeholder input issued by the Agency.

November 2021

An Assessment of Electrification Impacts on the Pepco DC System A great study from the Brattle Group on the effect of electrification, energy efficiency and load growth shows load growth to be within historical trends (yet above what it would be with out electrification) and how robust load flexibility and EE reduce peak load growth.

August 2021

Love Electric Website Launches Providing energy efficient heating + cooling information and rebate guides for Colorado homeowners.

June 2021

ECO Act Passes and Paves Way to Modernize Minnesota’s Conservation Improvement Program The Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act, a bill many years in the making, passed the legislature Monday with a decisive bipartisan vote of 58-9 in the Minnesota Senate and is expected to be signed by Gov. Walz by the end of the month.

May 2021

Over $100,000 awarded to support beneficial electrification by utilities, farms and consumer groups in five states Beneficial Electrification League to fund innovations to drive energy savings and environmental benefits for groups in Montana, Indiana, South Dakota, Iowa and North Carolina. Read our announcement for more information.

May 2021

New Beneficial Electrification Grant Opportunity The BEL is pleased to announce the availability of funding for grants that advance our mission to increase understanding on the benefits of electrification. Please read our announcement for more information.

March 2021

2020

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