U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, along with Reps. 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 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 W. Craig Fugate to review discrepancies in the distribution of disaster assistance to rural electric cooperatives for damages from the severe weather in April 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,” she continued. “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.”