Congressman Greg Gianforte's measure secured affordable power for Sidney and Kinsey irrigation operations. | Facebook
Congressman Greg Gianforte's measure secured affordable power for Sidney and Kinsey irrigation operations. | Facebook
Congressman Greg Gianforte has introduced a measure that will ensure the Sidney and Kinsey Irrigation Districts continue to have access to affordable power.
“A recent decision by the Bureau of Reclamation has upended 70 years of how Sidney and Kinsey irrigators have received project use power to pump water,” Gianforte said, according to his website. “Losing this power would put these family farmers and companies out of business.”
The Bureau of Reclamation's change would increase the power cost to Sidney and Kinsey's operating budgets to around 40%, a drastic increase from its current 2.5%.
Gianforte's amendment would fix this issue by restoring the original amendment. The US House of Representatives ultimately adopted Gianforte's measure.
More than 130 family farms are served by Sidney and Kinsey, irrigating nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in eastern Montana. These fields are used for producing hay, corn, potatoes, soybeans, and peas. Nearly 4,800 of the acres are sugar beets produced for Sidney Sugars, Inc. The Kinsey operation also helps feed more than 20,000 cattle a year.
Gianforte is the Republican nominee for governor in the upcoming election.
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