Klobuchar, Franken, Peterson, Walz Announce More Than $2.1 Million in Federal Funding to Repair Electrical Utilities Damaged in SW Minnesota During the Severe Winter Storm of 2013

Following the ice storms that struck southwest Minnesota in April of 2013, Nobles Cooperative Electric applied for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover the cost of damage to power lines and poles in Nobles County; FEMA denied their request based on recordkeeping requirements

Last February, Klobuchar, Franken, Peterson, and Walz sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Fugate to review discrepancies in the distribution of disaster assistance to rural electric cooperatives for damages from the severe weather in April of 2013 in the Upper Midwest

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, along with Representatives Collin Peterson and Tim Walz, have announced $2,140,754 in federal funding to repair electrical utilities damaged in southwest Minnesota during the Severe Winter Storm of 2013. Following the ice storms that struck southwest Minnesota in April of 2013, Nobles Cooperative Electric applied for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover the cost of damage to power lines and poles. FEMA denied their request based on recordkeeping requirements. Last February, Klobuchar, Franken, Peterson, and Walz sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Fugate to review discrepancies in the distribution of disaster assistance to rural electric cooperatives for damages from the severe weather in April of 2013 in the Upper Midwest.

“Communities and businesses across Minnesota count on electric cooperatives for reliable energy. However, when a crippling winter storm hit our state in 2013, a few of these co-ops were denied the financial assistance they needed to recover,” Klobuchar said. “That’s why I worked to ensure that FEMA remained engaged until we reached a favorable outcome for Nobles Cooperative Electric’s appeal for assistance. This funding will help the co-op make important repairs to be able to continue to provide affordable, efficient energy.”

“When natural disaster strikes, Minnesota communities are prepared for the worst and ready to respond to damage,” Franken said. “But after severe winter storms hit southwest Minnesota in 2013, some of our rural electric co-ops were blocked from accessing federal disaster funds to replace power lines and poles. We pushed back, and after demanding action from FEMA, I’m glad to see that Nobles Cooperative will be receiving new funding to make important repairs and keep their electrical infrastructure top notch.”

“The strength of Minnesota’s economy relies, in large part, on the success of our electric cooperatives and their ability to provide the state with reliable and affordable energy,” Peterson said. “These funds will finally reimburse Nobles Cooperative Electric for the repairs necessary to fix storm-related damage, allowing them to continue to meet their customer’s energy needs.”

“When storms hit communities in southwest Minnesota in 2013, we knew folks would need assistance to repair the damage,” Walz said. “After being denied once, we asked FEMA to take a second look and I am pleased they will provide assistance to repair electrical utilities so that Nobles County can continue their work to provide energy to the community.” 

The full text of the lawmakers’ 2015 letter is below:

Dear Administrator Fugate:

We write to express our concern regarding denied disaster assistance applications submitted by two Minnesota electric cooperatives following severe ice storms in southwest Minnesota April 9-13, 2013.

Following President Obama’s disaster declaration in southwest Minnesota in the spring of 2013, Nobles Cooperative Electric and Federated Rural Electric Association applied for financial assistance from the FEMA Region V office to help rebuild their systems. Nobles Cooperative Electric lost more than 1,500 poles and 3,000 farmers and homes in Nobles and Murray County were left without power for days. More than 2,000 homes were left without power in Jackson County, which is serviced by Federated Rural Electric. Unfortunately, both of their requests have been denied or in a lengthy process of information gathering without resolution.

We have heard concerns from the 44 Minnesota electric cooperatives about Region V’s decision to deny the applications. They include arbitrary policy changes without adequate notification or stakeholder participation, contradictions with previous policy provisions, shifting rationales for the denials, and inconsistent application of FEMA disaster assistance as compared to other regions.

We are particularly concerned that Federated and Nobles, along with a number of electric cooperatives in Iowa, are being treated differently than other electric cooperatives or municipal utilities in the United States with respect to the re-conductoring of their systems.

For example, in Region VI, electric cooperatives obtained FEMA approval to rebuild 1,200 lines of overhead lines which were damaged from a tornado that occurred at about the same time as the ice storm that did so much damage in Minnesota and Iowa. In Region VIII, Grand Electric Cooperative in South Dakota was awarded more than $20 million for damages caused by the October 2013 blizzard. In addition, FEMA announced in January that it would provide more than $4.2 million in aid to North Dakota cooperatives for damage from the same blizzard.

As you are well aware, electric cooperatives play a unique and important economic role in Minnesota, providing electricity to the 85 percent of the state that didn’t have access to affordable and reliable electricity until the co-ops came into existence. Throughout their history, electric cooperatives in Minnesota have relied on a partnership with the federal government to provide this vital service in the state.

We ask that you review these concerns over discrepancies in the distribution of disaster assistance to rural electric cooperatives for damages from the severe weather in April of 2013 in the Upper Midwest. We look forward to working with you on this important issue.

Sincerely,