Page Menu

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, Award Number DE-GD0000885.

Project Information

The Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks (WARN) project is a national effort to strengthen rural electric systems and reduce wildfire risk through grid modernization, system hardening, vegetation management, and other resilience improvements. The project, led by Holy Cross Energy in coordination with NRECA Research, will provide more than $145 million in wildfire mitigation funding to electric cooperatives. Flathead Electric Cooperative is participating in WARN to improve the reliability and resilience of electric service in the West Glacier and Essex area while reducing risks associated with wildfires and electrical system faults.

Project Description

  • Install five line reclosers along the Essex feeder between the West Glacier substation and the community of Essex to improve fault isolation, sectionalizing, and service restoration.
  • Install fault sensors along the Essex feeder to provide real-time fault indication and help crews more quickly locate and isolate electrical faults.
  • Replace existing wood distribution poles with ductile iron poles in the Badrock Canyon area to improve system hardening and durability in this remote, high wildfire-risk corridor.
  • Perform vegetation management along approximately 33 miles of the Essex feeder between the West Glacier substation and the community of Essex to remove hazardous trees and vegetation and reduce outage and wildfire risk.
  • The Department of Energy will pay 65.5% ($2,611,000) of the $3,986,000 project. FEC will pay the remaining 34.5% or $1,375,000.

Project Location

Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Essex feeder and associated distribution facilities between the West Glacier substation and the community of Essex, including the Badrock Canyon area.

A map of Badrock Canyon along the Flathead River where wood poles will be converted to ductile iron poles.
A map of the Essex feeder from West Glacier substation to the community of Essex.

WARN Project Duration

The WARN project began on August 21, 2024, and will run through August 20, 2029.

Consortium Member Information

Flathead Electric Cooperative is a member of a consortium of 35 electric cooperatives across 17 states in the central and western United States participating in the WARN project. WARN is focused on strengthening rural electric systems, improving resilience to wildfires, and reducing the risk of wildfires associated with electric infrastructure.

Benefits

This project will strengthen the reliability and resilience of electric service along the Essex feeder while reducing wildfire risk. Reclosers will improve fault isolation and allow service to be restored more quickly to unaffected portions of the feeder, while fault sensors will help crews more quickly locate electrical faults. Ductile iron poles in the Badrock Canyon area will improve system hardening and reduce infrastructure vulnerability in a remote, high wildfire-risk corridor. Vegetation management will reduce hazardous tree and vegetation exposure along the feeder, helping reduce tree-related outages and wildfire risk.

Timeline

Flathead Electric Cooperative’s project activities will include design and equipment procurement followed by implementation of the reclosers, fault sensors, ductile iron poles, and vegetation management improvements along the Essex feeder. The individual project components have the following timelines: 

Vegetation Management – Q4 2026 to Q2 2027 

Reclosers 

  • Equipment Procurement – Q3 2026 to Q1 2028 
  • Installation – Q2 2028 

Sensors 

  • Equipment Procurement – Q3 2026 to Q3 2027 
  • Installation – Q2 2028 

Pole Conversion 

  • Design – Q3 2026 to Q1 2027 
  • Material Procurement – Q2 2027 to Q4 2028 
  • Construction – Q1 2029 to Q3 2029 

Project Outreach

Flathead Electric Cooperative will continue engaging members and communities throughout the WARN project, building on established community relationships and support for wildfire mitigation and electric system resilience efforts. The project has received support from local organizations, including the Coram-West Glacier Volunteer Fire Department, Aspen Forestry and Landscaping, the IBEW Local #786, and local forestry and fire protection groups. Members will receive project updates through the Co-op’s existing communication channels as project improvements are implemented.

News Releases

Contact for More Information

For general questions on this grant and non-procurement related inquiries:

Procurement

For procurement and bid info, please visit our Procurement page.