BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Federal aid to help utilities recover from an Easter weekend storm in North Dakota has become tied up in Congress, prompting the rural electric cooperative that suffered the brunt of the damage to open an emergency line of credit.
Mor-Gran-Sou Electric said the line of credit to cover the $30 million in infrastructure repair costs comes with a 2.5 percent interest rate. That works out to about $1 million a year, co-manager Don Franklund said.
"Rates will have to be adjusted, we just don't know how (by) much until we know all our options," he said. "We have all the lights back on, but that's just the first phase."
The snow storm in early April plunged nearly 8,400 households in western and central North Dakota into darkness. Some remained without power for weeks.
President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration for parts of North Dakota affected by the storm, paving the way for the federal government to pay 75 percent of the repair costs and the state 10 percent.
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"Congress hasn't acted, and we're still waiting for them to pass a bill to appropriate money," said Cecily Fong, spokeswoman for the state Department of Emergency Services. "We're at a standstill, and it's really frustrating."
Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., said the aid has been attached to funding for the war in Afghanistan. He said he is hopeful the aid will be approved soon.
