Slama: grant to end Falls City's electrical isolation

FALLS CITY – Sen. Julie Slama has introduced a bill in the state Legislature that would provide a path for American Recovery funds to help Falls City upgrade its electrical transmission line.

LB 977 requests a one-time appropriation of $29 million to the state Department of Economic Development for a grant to any city of the second class.

Slama said Falls City is one of only three locations in the Midwest with an abundance of undeveloped land at the convergence of the Union Pacific and BNSF rail lines, but is falling behind economically because of the isolation of the electrical grid.

Slama: "Businesses require the infrastructure before they’ll commit to the location and power suppliers generally require commitment from the business before they’ll install it, which has created a never-ending ‘chicken or the egg’ paradox.”

She said fixing the power supply is critical for Falls City as it copes with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Slama: “The pandemic exacerbated this issue as the single power line has experienced multiple outages from the demand for power from residents working from home. The outages have harmed citizens and small businesses in Falls City.”

Slama said she hopes an economic development grant will alleviate the electrical issues.