January 31, 2013
Harkin Announces More than $5.6 Million for Pella Cooperative Electric Association
WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the Pella Cooperative Electric Association has been awarded $5,604,416 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Program (HMP). The funds will be used to replace and strengthen 128.3 miles of electrical distribution lines to better withstand the effects of storms in Jasper, Mahaska, Marion, Polk and Poweshiek 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.
“This assistance will help the Pella Cooperative Electric Association improve its service and reliability to help ensure that Iowa’s rural residents receive their electricity in a safe and efficient manner,” said Harkin. “I congratulate the REC on this federal grant and look forward to the improvements it will generate for these counties.”