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Dec. 1, 2011
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Tammy Snodgrass or Bonnie Prigge, (573) 265-2993
MRPC helps develop electrical co-op statewide hazard mitigation plan
Plan enables co-ops to apply for federal disaster grants
ST. JAMES—The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) is assisting in the development of a statewide five-year natural hazard mitigation plan for rural electrical cooperatives.
MRPC’s Tammy Snodgrass, assistant director and environmental programs manager, has been working with three electric cooperatives: Crawford Electric Cooperative of Bourbon, Three Rivers Electric Cooperative of Linn and Gascosage Electric Cooperative of Dixon. MRPC is also developing a plan for Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. of Springfield, which owns power generation facilities statewide.
The statewide plan, which will feature 47 rural electrical cooperatives in Missouri, is expected to be complete by May and is coordinated by Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments in Maryville.
The plan will allow the cooperatives to apply for federal disaster grants for the first time under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The electrical cooperatives would then be able to compete with cities, counties and school districts to apply for federal disaster grants.
The federal grants would fund projects to help protect electrical infrastructure from being destroyed by natural disasters. For example, funds could be used to bury electric lines to help protect them from damaging wind and ice storms, or funds could be used to relocate power infrastructure from flood plains.
All Missouri regional planning agencies are helping each participating cooperative develop its own plan. The individual plans will then be bundled into one, statewide plan.
Draft plans for Crawford Electric Cooperative and Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. have been submitted to Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments and the other two plans are expected to be submitted within the next few weeks. Both the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must approve the final statewide plan.
Snodgrass gave examples of hazard mitigation plan contents.
“There are sections dealing with each hazard that particular co-op is susceptible to – most are concerned about flooding, wind storms and especially ice storms,” Snodgrass said.
Snodgrass explained the plans include what infrastructure is most vulnerable, estimated costs to replace damaged equipment based on historical data, assessment of infrastructure and historical maps of damaging tornadoes, ice storms, floods, etc.
“When the document is finished, the co-op has a plan with goals, objectives and action items,” Snodgrass said.
This plan for improvements also includes a list of projects that the cooperative could complete with its own funding, or future grant funding.
Such projects include updating electrical poles, converting overhead lines to underground lines, relocating infrastructure and purchasing generators. All projects are designed to reduce the cost of rebuilding the infrastructure after a natural disaster.
If a county is declared a natural disaster, the needs of the utility are assessed in its plan and can then be funded based on plan priorities, in addition to an on-site inspection by federal and state emergency management officials.
“This section provides the co-ops with a blueprint for projects they’d like to complete to make their systems less vulnerable – whether with grants or with their own funds. The end result is a stronger system and one less likely to go down and leave people without power during disasters,” Snodgrass said.
The final statewide hazard mitigation plan is expected to be available within the next few months for public review and comments before being submitted for state and federal approval. For more information on the plan, contact Snodgrass at MRPC at 573 265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org.
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