REA and Basin Electric grant funds to Lovell-Kane Museum

A hoped-for project to construct a new building adjacent to the Lovell-Kane Area Museum received a shot in the arm last week in the form of two donations from Big Horn REA and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

Museum board president met Big Horn REA board member Willie Bridges and manager Jeff Pillow at the museum Friday afternoon to present two checks: one $10,000 check from Big Horn Rural Electric Company and the second matching check from Basin Electric, the generation and transmission company Big Horn REA receives some of its power from, Bridges said.

Bridges explained that the REA money comes from unclaimed capital credits that build up over time. When customers/members pay their power bill, he explained, a certain amount of the payment is not used to purchase power.

“We collect more than we use,” he said, “and the money is reallocated to members based on the power they use. After 20 years, we refund it back. It’s their investment and ownership in the coop itself. “

Some members don’t collect the credit coming to them. They move or pass away or simply choose to not collect the credit. Anything not claimed after two years goes into an unclaimed capital credit account and goes back to the community.

The REA and its affiliates have worked with the museum before. In April, Tri-State Generation and Transmission gave the museum $1,000 for display cases and window film, and at that time Bridges said more money would be available, Spragg said. Bridges said the REA board voted to grant the $10,000 in unclaimed capital credits and requested that Basin Electric match the figure, which they did.

The project

Spragg said it has been a goal of the museum board to construct a building to house the historic Kane school wagon – restored by Pat Steed, which is currently in storage at another location and, thus, unavailable for viewing by the public.

The plan calls for a 25-by-35-foot metal building with a door at one end large enough to run the wagon through. There will also be windows in the building, Spragg said. The building would be constructed to the west of the museum on Oregon Avenue. It would be primarily used to house the wagon and related artifacts, Spragg said.

Last week’s donations give the museum momentum for the $71,000 project, and Spragg said the board is applying for a mineral royalties grant through the Big Horn County Commissioners.