CFAC gets new shot at life

The Flathead Valley is in a position where any new jobs and industry are welcome, and that applies precisely to a potential re-opening of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co., which was once a front mover in the valley’s economy.

The plant north of Columbia Falls was shuttered in 2009 largely because of unaffordable electricity costs, but now it has the potential to reopen because of a deal that the Bonneville Power Administration is offering that could power up the plant for more than four years.

CFAC and its parent company have so far not committed to the offer, and that’s understandable because reopening the plant has complications well beyond the cost of power. The question of how well the company could compete internationally has to be a big one. And there’s a potential hangup with the deal because it would provide CFAC with enough power to operate only two potlines when three are needed to be profitable, and that would require purchasing electricity from sources other than BPA.

So, a CFAC spokesman said this week that an actual deal and a decision to reopen the plant could be months away, but hopefully something fruitful will emerge.

There certainly is interest re-establishing the good-paying jobs CFAC once provided. BPA hosted a meeting last week that was well attended by former CFAC employees and other interested people.

And that tells us that CFAC maybe shouldn’t be regarded as a shuttered business.

ANOTHER LOCAL firm with good news recently was Zinc Air, a relative newcomer to the Flathead compared to the aluminum plant, but one that is poised for big things.

Recently, it was announced that a Minnesota wind farm is buying an advanced energy storage system developed by Zinc Air.

This energy storage technology could be key to making alternative energy sources such as wind become viable, economic alternatives to coal and oil. If that proves to be the case, then having a company like Zinc Air located in the Flathead will prove to be a boon for years to come.

Good luck.