Page 15 - Flathead Beacon // 3.12.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS MARCH 12, 2014 | 15

Secure

the

PR

future

Kerr Dam near Polson. BEACON FILE PHOTO

Kerr Dam Closer to Tribal

Ownership, New Name

Tribes poised to “Today we enjoy historic success in PPL that the facility’s plant should cost

become irst in the our diligent efort to acquire the Kerr $16.5 million, nearly $2 million more
Project,” said Brian Lipscomb, CEO of than CSKT estimated due to deprecia-
nation to own major Energy Keepers, Inc., a tribally owned tion. The panel shot down PPL’s pro-
corporation established to manage the posed $987,000 as part of its legal de-
hydroelectric facility
facility’s takeover.
fense costs in a long-standing lawsuit
With less than 19 months until the over looding rights at Flathead Lake.
acquisition date, EKI is preparing for the Kerr Dam is a concrete arch dam 381

By BEACON STAFF
future management and operation of the feet in length and 200 feet high. It con-
hydroelectric facility, as well as crafting trols the elevation of the top 10 feet of
The Flathead Reservation tribes are a new name for the dam with the input of Flathead Lake, and has an average pro-
closer to becoming the irst in the U.S. to tribal leaders. The dam, which was com- duction of 1.1 million megawatt hours of
own a major hydroelectric facility.
pleted in 1938, was named for the presi- energy per year.
An arbitration panel in California dent of Montana Power Co. at the time, In 1985, FERC issued the dam’s op-
settled on a price tag for Kerr Dam last Frank Kerr. The CSKT tribal council erating license to both Montana Power
week, setting the stage for the Confeder- will make a inal decision on the new and the tribes to settle a contested pro-

ated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ acqui- name, according to EKI.
ceeding. Montana Power, which sold its
sition of the 194-megawatt plant in Sep- By taking over Kerr Dam, the CSKT utility assets in 1997, was to operate the
tember 2015.
will become the irst tribe in America to project for at least 30 years, after which
The CSKT must pay nearly $18.3 mil- own and operate a major hydroelectric the tribes would have the option to buy.
lion for the dam located at the natural facility, as well as becoming the only en- “This day represents an unwaver-
outlet of Flathead Lake near Polson.
tity in Montana to own an in-state dam. ing and long-standing commitment by
The dam was been a source of con- PPL is based out of Allentown, Pa.
the Salish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai

troversy and opposition when it was The American Arbitration Associa- Tribes to restore tribal stewardship over
built in the 1930s, and several people tion panel landed on a inal price more resources afected by the Kerr Project,”
died during its construction.
favorable to CSKT than PPL Montana, said CSKT Tribal Chairman Ronald
Nearly 80 years later, the tribes iled the site’s current owner. PPL, which Trahan. “This is a big day in our tribal
a formal notice on March 4 with the Fed- purchased the dam from Montana Pow- history that is especially meaningful to
eral Energy Regulatory Commission ex- er in 1999, argued the tribes should have our communities because it represents
pressing their intent to take over the fa- to pay $49.4 million for the entire facil- self-suiciency, resilience and vision by
cility as a part of a mission to maintain ity. The tribes countered it should be the tribes. Today we take a big step for-

www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
and manage important natural resourc- $14.7 million.
ward in acquiring the Kerry Project.”
www.T
h
es within the Flathead Reservation.
The arbitration panel agreed with
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