Power Co-Ops To Be Reimbursed For Some Ice Storm Costs

Area electric cooperatives will receive government compensation for some costs stemming from the November ice storm.

Kootenai Electric Cooperative Inc. collected $1.7 million Tuesday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Idaho Department of Disaster Services.

About 75 percent of the money was provided by FEMA, said Kootenai spokeswoman Catherine Parochetti.

The cooperative spent $2 million repairing damage from the storm, which knocked out power for more than two weeks in some areas.

Kootenai serves 14,000 customers in Kootenai, Benewah and Bonner and Spokane counties.

“KEC had to borrow the money necessary to make the expensive repairs to our system,” General Manager Bob Crump said in a prepared statement.

The federal and state assistance will enable the utility to repay the debt, he said.

At Inland Power & Light Co. in Spokane, Controller Kris Mikkelsen said the cooperative expects about $2.1 million to help cover the $2.7 million expended to restore service in its territory.

Modern Electric Water Co. and Vera Water and Power are also awaiting checks.

Vera Controller Jim Fields said the assistance should cover about $215,000 of the $250,000 in emergency costs for the Spokane Valley cooperative.

General Manager Mike Baker said Modern also was expecting slightly more than $200,000 for its costs.

Washington Water Power Co., as a for-profit corporation, does not qualify for the assistance. The Spokane utility deducted $17.1 million from earnings to account for its costs.

, DataTimes