Jerrod KingeryClean, sustainable power is coming to six American Indian and Alaska Native communities thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The first round of funding, totaling $18.8 million, will be used to install solar and wind energy infrastructure in tribal communities across five states, providing 5.6-megawatts (MW) of clean energy and battery storage to power over 100 buildings.
In addition, another $25 million will be made available through a new funding opportunity announcement that will allow tribal communities to plan, assess and develop clean energy projects.
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The six projects selected are the results of a competitive funding opportunity announcement released in February. The DOE Office of Indian Energy is using these grants to further efforts to maximize deployment of clean, reliable and affordable energy solutions local to the tribal communities, as well as ensuring tribes’ energy sovereignty.
DOE estimates that collectively, these projects will result in nearly 5.6-MW of clean energy generation and over 3.2-megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage, impacting over 100 tribal buildings as well as saving these communities nearly $54 million over the life of these systems, improving the quality of life for these underserved communities.
The following projects have been selected for negotiation of an award:
- Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, Calif.: Installation of a cumulative of 551-kilowatts (kW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) and a 1,311-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) on five essential buildings. (Award amount: $4,376,448)
- Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc.: Refurbishment of two 200-kW wind turbines and installation of a BESS, with a power capacity of 320-kW and storage capacity of 540-kWh in Mekoryuk, Alaska. (Award amount: $2,205,332)
- Barona Group of the Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians in Lakeside, Calif.: Installation of 2,300-kW of ground-mounted solar PV systems to serve four vital facilities. The project’s new PV capacity is expected to generate 5,686-MWh of electricity in year 1. (Award amount: $5,000,000)
- Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Prior Lake, Minn.: Deploying five solar PV systems, totaling approximately 596-kW, on the rooftops of existing buildings in Prior Lake, Minn. (Award amount: $1,258,799)
- United Tribes Technical College, Bismark, N. Dak.: Installation of 150-kW of solar PV and a 250-kW/1,376-kWh BESS at the Lewis Goodhouse Wellness Center, an essential tribal building and emergency sheltering area on the campus of United Tribes Technical College. (Award amount: $2,198,863)
- Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Anadarko, Okla: Installation of 1,200-kW of solar PV to meet 36% of the energy load of high-energy-consuming buildings in Hinton, Okla. (Award amount: $3,795,312)
In addition, the DOE Office of Indian Energy’s new $25 million funding opportunity announcement anticipates making 20-40 awards of up to $2.5 million for projects that support the planning, assessment and development of clean energy either for tribal buildings or on tribal lands.
Applications are due at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 23, 2025. An informational webinar is being held on on Oct. 24, 2024.
Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash
