Hoeven requests presidential disaster declaration

A disaster declaration from President Obama would help electric cooperatives finance the reconstruction of power distribution facilities. PHOTO BY CLARICE KESLER

In mid-February, Gov. John Hoeven requested that President Barack Obama declare a federal disaster for 25 North Dakota counties. The presidential declaration is intended to help municipalities, a tribal jurisdiction and rural electric cooperatives recover costs associated with damage inflicted during severe winter weather that swept the state in January.

A blizzard produced freezing rain, ice, heavy snow accumulations and high winds in excess of 50 miles per hour beginning Jan. 20 and ending Jan. 25. During this period, more than 3,200 electric power poles snapped to the ground, and power was interrupted to as many as 6,200 residences over vast sections of central and western North Dakota.

The governor specifically requested emergency assistance for the following qualifying jurisdictions: Adams, Barnes, Billings, Bowman, Burke, Dickey, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Logan, McKenzie, McIntosh, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Ransom, Renville, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele and Walsh counties, and the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

On Jan. 27, Hoeven requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) begin conducting preliminary damage assessments in the state to document losses and costs that resulted from January’s storm, paving the way for a presidential disaster declaration. Preliminary assessments have indicated that 25 counties and the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation will likely qualify for FEMA assistance based on costs incurred during the storm. Early damage estimates indicate more than $20 million in eligible losses for local and county governments, along with a number of the state’s electric cooperatives.

Hoeven issued a statewide winter storm disaster declaration Jan. 27, based on impacts to North Dakotans who were without heat, electricity, water or telephone service, as well as initial assessments of damages, particularly to the state’s electricity, telephone and communications providers. State, local and tribal agencies worked closely to respond to the severe weather and to ensure the safety of citizens.

On the state level, agencies have supported local and tribal operations with personnel, equipment and technical assistance. If approved, the presidential disaster declaration will cover 75 percent of the eligible costs resulting from the storm, with the state covering 10 percent of those costs.

NDAREC hosts Pomeroy for EPA proposal outline
Earlier this year, Congressman Earl Pomeroy visited the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) in Mandan to announce introduction of H.R. 4396, the “Save Our Energy Jobs Act.”

This legislation is intended to prohibit the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gases. It has emerged in response to a recent EPA announcement that it was moving forward on new rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. This action, if not prevented, could dramatically increase energy rates as well as end up costing North Dakota jobs.

“Regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the current provisions of the Clean Air Act is irresponsible and just plain wrong. That is why I introduced the Save Our Energy Jobs Act which would stop the EPA from moving forward with its proposal,” said Congressman Pomeroy.  

“I am not about to let some Washington bureaucrat dictate new public policy that will raise our electricity rates and put at risk the thousands of coal-related jobs in our state.”
A 2007 United States Supreme Court decision found that the EPA has the authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions should the agency find these emissions to be harmful to public health and welfare.

Late last year, the EPA released a final endangerment finding that greenhouse gas emissions do endanger both public health and welfare. Making this determination was necessary to finalizing the EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-duty vehicles proposed by EPA and the National Highway Safety Administration.

Once this EPA rule becomes final, greenhouse gases will officially be regulated pollutants under the Clean Air Act. This action would then subject stationary sources which emit greenhouse gases — such the electric cooperative power plants in North Dakota — to the Clean Air Act regulation. Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Minnkota Power Cooperative and Great River Energy — NDAREC member organizations — operate power plants in the state subject to this regulation.

A central concern for the power generation cooperatives is EPA has proposed a rule requiring they obtain construction and operating permits covering these emissions. These permits must demonstrate the use of best available control technologies and energy efficiency measures to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. However, current control technologies and measures are either unproven or unreasonably expensive and could make new coal facilities impossible to build.

“Representative Pomeroy’s bill supports our position that Congress should be in charge of setting the policy on climate change legislation. We’ve been working with our Congressional delegation to adopt provisions in a comprehensive climate change bill that achieve carbon reductions at a pace that’s fair, affordable and achievable,” said Dennis Hill, NDAREC general manager.  

Congressional action curbing this EPA direction is strongly supported by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
“Affordable electric bills must be at the heart of this debate, and we’re fighting on behalf of consumers,” said NRECA Chief Executive Officer Glenn English. “Leaving matters up to unelected EPA bureaucrats is a major step in the wrong direction.”