December 4, 2012
Harkin Announces Over $4 Million for Clarke Electric Power Cooperative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the Clarke Electric Cooperative has been awarded $4,084,054 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Program (HMP.) Funding will be used to strengthen 123.2 miles of electrical distribution lines in Clarke, Decatur, Madison, and Warren Counties.
Harkin was the chief sponsor of legislation that greatly expanded FEMA’s HMP following the floods of 1993. The program provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The purpose of the HMP is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.
"Bringing reliable, affordable electricity to rural America contributes to the economic development of these communities and the quality of life for all residents," said Harkin. "This funding is critical to improving the resiliency of electric lines for the hundreds of residents they serve. I look forward to the improvements this investment will generate.”