Two electric co-ops serving rural parts of the Willamette Valley are on the receiving end of federal funds to help with wildfire recovery.
Lane Electric’s service territory was hit hard by the Holiday Farm Fire last year. The co-op is getting nearly $20 million to help with repairs to its electric transmission and distribution systems. That includes power poles, overhead and underground conductors and other equipment that was damaged in the fire.
Further north, Consumers Power is a co-op that serves parts of six counties, including areas in eastern Linn and Marion Counties that were devastated by the Beachie Creek Fire. The Philomath-based utility will receive $1.1 million to help with recovery efforts.
The grants are being distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and were announced by US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.