Kootenai Electric gets $6 million grant to bury power lines

Kootenai Electric Cooperative will receive a $6 million federal grant to bury power lines in an effort to reduce power outages from powerful storms.

The Idaho Office of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency announced the grant Monday.

The FEMA award will provide $6,051,511 to the North Idaho utility for burying about 45 miles of transmission and distribution lines in 22 segments. The grant covers the 75 percent federal share of the $8 million project.

FEMA has been working with the state since a Feb. 1, 2016, major disaster declaration resulting from severe storms in December 2015. The weather downed power poles and transmission lines, cutting power to over 17,000 customers in Bonner, Benewah and Kootenai counties.

Kootenai Electric previously was awarded a $2.6 million FEMA cost-share grant for repairs to its disaster-damaged transmission and distribution system.