Missoula, MT — Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC) has secured a $6.6 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to improve wildfire protection and storm resilience in a portion of its service area. The grant is part of the Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks (WARN) initiative, which will provide more than $145 million to enhance grid reliability in rural, high-risk regions across 16 central and western states.
MEC’s project, Seeley-Swan Undergrounding for Wildfire and Storm Safety, will bury approximately 46 miles of overhead power line in the Seeley-Swan corridor. The project has a timeline extending from 2025-2028, with construction anticipated to begin in 2025.
“The need for this upgrade is significant,” said MEC General Manager Mark Hayden. “There are two primary threats to the resilience of our system in the Swan Valley. The first is the rise in wildfires throughout the northwest, which have the potential to wreak havoc on the Co-op’s infrastructure. The second threat is the increased frequency, severity and unpredictability of storms.”
MEC is one of 38 electric cooperatives participating in the WARN initiative, which is led by Holy Cross Energy and NRECA Research. The program is part of DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“Electric cooperatives are focused on leveraging innovative solutions to meet tomorrow’s energy needs,” said National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA) CEO Jim Matheson. “This infrastructure funding is an important step as electric co-ops work to harden systems against wildfires and enhance the reliability of the grid. These projects hold tremendous potential for local communities as their co-ops unlock new ways to use technology to help mitigate wildfires and keep the lights on.”
Working together, consortium members will share lessons learned and provide real-world data to create an advanced analysis tool to identify the likely impacts of utility-ignited wildfires on rural electric utility systems.
About Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC): Missoula Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility serving over 13,500 members in western Montana and northeastern Idaho. For more information, visit missoulaelectric.com.
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