Volume 4 Issue 9
September 2011
Flathead Electric Rates
among Lowest in Region
Excerpts from the Missoulian - July 24, 2011
By MIKE DENNISON, Lee Newspaper State Bureau
NorthWestern Energy, the state’s dominant power company, still has
some of the highest residential electric rates among major utilities in the
region - but utilities in neighboring states are creeping up a little closer in
price.
NorthWestern, which just put into place the final pieces of a yearlong rate
case that increased rates slightly, currently charges homeowners about 10.05
cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. For the utility’s average homeowner,
that translates into an annual bill of about $970, or just over $80 a month.
In a survey by the Missoulian State Bureau of 13 other major utilities
and electric cooperatives in the Pacific Northwest and neighboring states,
NorthWestern charged the
third-highest rate for residential Flathead Electric Cooperative, a nonprofit
utility that serves Kalispell and other parts
electric customers using an
average of 800 kwh per month. of northwest Montana - has even been
able to lower some of its rates since 2007.
It has 330,000 customers in
Montana. Only Black Hills Power
of Rapid City, S.D., and Portland (Ore.) General Electric charged higher rates, at
10.2 cents and 10.1 cents per kwh, respectively.
NorthWestern spokeswoman Claudia Rapkoch said last week while
NorthWestern’s rates remain relatively high, they’ve been fairly stable,
increasing only about 5 percent over the past four years.
That’s not the case for some of NorthWestern’s regional neighbors,
who’ve seen greater increases during that period - and who are asking for
additional rate increases this year.
“In fact, the gap has narrowed considerably,” she said. “Every utility is
dealing with the same issues that we are: power supply costs, integration of
renewable power (like wind) and investing in infrastructure.
“Several of these utilities have been piling on double-digit rate increases,
year after year, and several say they will be doing so for the foreseeable
future.”
Others, however,
have remained
relatively stable
and lower than
NorthWestern,
and one Flathead Electric
Cooperative, a
nonprofit utility
that serves
Kalispell and
other parts
of northwest
Montana - has even been able to lower some of its rates since 2007.
Flathead Electric gets most of its power from the Bonneville Power
Administration, a federal power agency.
Rapkoch also noted that while NorthWestern’s electric rates are in the
upper tier for the region, they, along with other utilities in the Northwest,
remain among the lowest in the country.
Excluding the top three utilities mentioned above, rates for a
household consuming an average of 800 kwh per month ranged from a
low of 5.4 cents per kwh at Flathead Electric Co-op to a high of 8.95 cents,
for Puget Sound Energy, a utility serving 1 million customers in western
Washington.
Whitefish Hydro a Go
Flathead Electric Co-op has entered into
a power purchase agreement with the city of
Whitefish for the advance purchase of electricity
generated from the city’s hydro-electric generator.
Flathead Electric will pay the city $400,000 in
advance for energy to be generated and delivered
to the power grid during the first phase. This
money, plus a $200,000 energy efficiency and
conservation block grant will be used to rebuild
the hydroelectric facility. During Phase 2, Flathead
Electric will accept generated energy in exchange
for energy delivered to select accounts with the
public works and parks departments.
FEC General Manager Ken Sugden says the
deal is mutually beneficial: “Pre-purchasing the
energy made the project feasible for Whitefish and
gave Flathead Electric another local source of clean
energy. Eventually, the energy will be used in the
city of Whitefish’s own water and sewer pumping
loads.”
Whitefish City Manager Chuck Stearns
agrees that the deal is reciprocal: “Flathead
Electric gets to diversify its power source and,
once our loan is offset, the energy goes toward
our own consumption. I want to thank FEC for
its tremendous effort in making this project go
forward.”
Reapply for Energy Assistance
by October 1, 2011
When you find it difficult to pay heating
bills, help is available. Community Action
Partnership of NW Montana administers
the LIEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance
Program). If you qualify, they can assist by
paying a portion of home heating costs. For
information call 758-5433 or 1-800-344-5979.
Flathead Electric will also offer assistance
to members who meet the Federal LIEAP
guidelines. The income guidelines change
every year, so those recipients who’ve been
eligible in the past, need to reapply by October
1, 2011.
Linemen pitch in at
North Valley Food Bank
Recognizing FEC employees was Jeremy Pris, Fire Program Manager for the Kalispell office
of DNRC.
FEC Employees Recognized for discovering
Wild Bill Saddle Fire on a Sunday Drive
While driving down Brown’s Meadow Road in Kila on a recent Sunday
afternoon, Lori Freese, an FEC Network Specialist and Royal Osterday, FEC
Journeyman Substation Foreman, thought they smelled smoke after a
conversation about how things appeared to be drying out. Upon further
investigation, they discovered a lightning strike caused a fire burning about
150 yards off of the road. While Royal grabbed a shovel and began knocking
down the edge of the fire, Lori drove down the road to get cell service to call
911. The DNRC and Smith Valley Fire Department presented Lori and Royal
certificates of appreciation for their efforts. The fire was kept to 1/10 of an
acre with their help and quick notification!
Co-op Linemen Awarded “Certificate of
Excellence” for assistance at accident scene
The Marion Rural Fire Department has awarded a “Certificate of Excellence”
to a Flathead Electric Co-op crew, for their assistance at the scene of a motor
vehicle accident on July 14th. Fire Chief James Brower (far right in photo)
says this was the first such certificate he’s awarded, commenting: “It is so
reassuring to me to know that these Co-op employees would take that kind
of initiative, so we could tend to our patients.”
Ironically, Journeymen Linemen Dave Gilder, John Hahn and Foreman
Todd Scholer, had just finished installing a new windsock near the Marion
School for A.L.E.R.T.
helicopter landings in the
area, when they came
upon the accident on Hwy
2 W. Brower says the crew,
the first agency to arrive
on the scene, immediately
began traffic control and
continued to do so until
back up personnel arrived:
“They were able to keep traffic moving while watching our backs at the
same time. We had five injured people from the accident and that is a busy
roadway.”
The certificate, awarded on July 19, cites the Flathead Electric linemen for
“Excellence in Agency Assistance”. They were also recognized for their help
by members of the A.L.E.R.T. rescue crew.
Three Flathead Electric Co-op employees were
recognized recently by the Executive Director of
the North Valley Food Bank, after foregoing their
lunch break to help the staff. June Munski-Feenan
says the lineman were working on a power
project in Whitefish when they noticed a slight
commotion at the food bank and went to see if
they could be of service.
Munski-Feenan says a moose had been hit
by a semi and the meat was still salvageable, but
the animal was too big to fit through the door of
the facility: “These linemen gave up their lunch
to skin and butcher the moose for us without
hesitation. We truly appreciate their good deeds.”
Recognized for their efforts were Journey Linemen
Reuben Creighton and John Hahn, along with
Groundsman Travis Heger.
Holter Named Montana’s
Top Apprentice Lineman!
Mack Holter of Kalispell was named the Top
Overall Apprentice at the 2011 Montana Lineman’s
Rodeo held recently near Helena. He participated
in the Construction Division which involves a Four
Task Relay, Hurt Man Rescue, Speed Climb, and a
written test. He missed only
two points out of 400 and
won his division along with
the overall title, competing
against nearly 90 other
contestants.
Mack is currently working
for Titan Construction in
Wyoming through the
Mountain States Line Constructors Apprenticeship
Training Program. Mack is the son of Ross and
Janet Holter of Kalispell. (Ross Holter is the Energy
Services Supervisor at Flathead Electric.)
Flathead Electric Board of Trustees
Trustees District 1Chris H. Byrd
Vice-President District 2Emery Smith
District 3Jay Downen
District 4Doug Grob
District 5Alan Ruby
Find out more
about your Co-op at District 6Duane Braaten Secretary/
www.flatheadelectric.com Treasurer District
7George
Taylor
2510 U.S. Highway 2 East
President
Kalispell, MT 59901
District 8Paul Holland
406-751-4483 or
District 9Earl Messick
800-735-8489
121 West 4th Street
Ken Sugden
General Manager
Libby, MT 59923
406-293-7122
Mark Johnson
Assistant
General Manager
For All Outages:
Volume 4 • Issue 9
© 2011 Flathead Electric
Cooperative, Inc.,
All Rights Reserved
751-4449 or
1-800-406-0762
Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Lone
Pine Guard Rail $5,200.00
Applications Pending - 2
Roundup For Safety is a
voluntary program for FEC members.
Participating members allow their
electric bills to be rounded up to the
next dollar, with the extra money going
into a fund for community safety
projects. Applications from non-profit
groups are considered each month by
a board of directors representing each
Co-op district.
For information and application
forms, call 751-4483 in Kalispell and
293-7122 in Libby or go to www.
flatheadelectric.com and click on the
Your Community button>Roundup For
Safety information.
Flathead Electric’s Board of Trustees meets on the
fourth Wednesday of each month – subject to change
to accommodate schedules.
All members of the Cooperative are welcome to
attend, but please call 406-751-4483 to confirm the
meeting date and time in advance. Agenda items must
be submitted at least one week prior to the meeting
date.
info@flathead.coop