In the summer of 2024, several electric cooperatives in Illinois were hit by a devastating derecho — a widespread, intense windstorm produced by a line of severe thunderstorms. The powerful storms caused extensive damage, including downed trees, damaged power lines, flooding and extended power outages.
When widespread damage occurs, federal reimbursement may be available for power restoration, debris removal and emergency response. Cooperatives are eligible for reimbursements if the damage meets the threshold for a presidential disaster declaration.
It was reported that Illinois received more than $300 million in federal assistance following the presidential disaster declaration in 2024. Last year, a devastating ice storm left 19 of Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op’s 20 substations without power in Michigan, resulting in $150 million in recovery costs — 115 times the cost of any previous storm in the co-op’s history. Crews rebuilt the electric grid in just three weeks.
As severe storms become more frequent across Illinois — the state has experienced 172 confirmed tornadoes so far this year alone — financial assistance for restoration is more important than ever.
Without the federal funding, each cooperative would have to absorb and then pass along the costs of rebuilding directly to its members.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) mission is to “help people before, during and after disasters.” It does so by coordinating the federal government’s response to natural disasters, emergencies, and other large-scale incidents that overwhelm local and state resources. It accomplishes this by providing assistance — deploying resources such as search-and-rescue teams, disaster medical assistance and funding.
Currently, a bill in Congress — the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act — seeks to shift the responsibility of responding to natural disasters and funding recovery efforts to states and local units of government.
In its May report, the FEMA Review Council recommended that the agency equip state and local governments to lead disaster recovery efforts, with FEMA serving in a supporting role.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association supports the effort because it would potentially streamline FEMA and dramatically speed up the delivery of crucial relief funds to electric cooperatives devastated by natural disasters. The 2024 derecho highlights the importance of a quick response, given the number of co-ops and consumer-members impacted.
As the federal government considers changes to FEMA, the priority for Illinois co-ops is, as always, to ensure that our communities can recover quickly and safely from natural disasters.
For Illinois electric cooperatives, timely and reliable disaster assistance is essential to restoring power, protecting the communities they serve and minimizing the financial burden on their members, regardless of how that assistance is delivered.
