Energy Keepers, Inc.
SXʷNQ̓EʔELS L SUW̓EČM / KSUKⱠIⱠMUMAⱠ ʾA·K̓͏AⱠMUKWAʾITS, INC., WHICH DOES BUSINESS AS ENERGY KEEPERS, INC., IS THE TRIBALLY OWNED CORPORATION OF THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES TASKED WITH MANAGING THE ACQUISITION OF THE KERR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT ON THE FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION.
Otherwise known as Kerr Dam, the facility is located about five miles southwest of Polson. It encompasses a three-unit hydroelectric plant with the capacity to generate 188 megawatts of electricity. Considering that one megawatt can satisfy the average energy needs of about 750 households, the Kerr Project is an important part of the infrastructure in the region.
Kerr Dam is a concrete arch dam 381 feet in length and 200 feet high. It controls the elevation of the top ten feet of Flathead Lake, and has an average production of 1.1 million megawatt hours of energy per year.
Currently, the Tribes have the opportunity to acquire the Kerr Project in 2015 under provisions in the current Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. When the Tribes exercise their option to acquire the dam in 2015, they will become the first Tribes in the nation to own and operate a major hydropower facility, not to mention they will become the only local entity in Montana to own one of the state’s large hydroelectric facilities. Ultimately, owning and operating Kerr Dam will be a milestone for the Tribes as they continue to maintain and manage important natural resources within the Flathead Reservation.
