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Tribes
Please look to the Additional Resources section for links on how to obtain funding for your tribe through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Guide to Renewable Energy and EE Opportunities for Local and Tribal Governments (PDF) (18 pp, 226K)
Increasing the use of renewable energy is one of the most effective ways to quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For tribes, especially those that are rural and isolated, it can also be a cost effective way to provide power to residents of the reservation with minimal impacts to the environment. Other tribes are using their rich solar and wind resources to spur economic development. This page provides information about several tribes in Region 9 that have successfully collaborated with an array of partners to develop renewable energy.
Ramona Band of Cahuilla Goes “Off the Grid”
The Ramona Band of Cahuilla 
is one of the first tribes in the nation to be "off the grid" and utilize renewable energy to power its homes, offices, and other buildings on the reservation. This small, remote, and rural southern California tribe has developed, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, a wind and solar system that provides 90% of its energy needs. Tribal members have also been trained to provide the long-term maintenance and operation of the system.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Forest Service have supported the development of the tribe's Eco-tourism Project, which is also powered by renewable energy technologies. The Ramona Band will utilize the Eco-tourism Project to demonstrate to others how renewable energy systems eliminate the environmental impacts that conventional power systems and electric power lines have on sensitive resources. The eco-tourism facility will offer renewable energy education as well as cultural and educational programs that honor Cahilla traditions.
Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians Install 1 Megawatt Solar Power
In an inspiring example of a successful renewable energy project developed in partnership with both the private and public sector, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Coachella Valley held a ribbon cutting ceremony in early 2009 for the first Bureau of Indian Affairs-approved photovoltaic renewable energy system on a California Indian reservation. The solar energy system will produce 1 megawatt of clean energy, enough to provide about 25% of the energy that the tribe had previously drawn from the Imperial Irrigation District. The solar facility was successfully developed in cooperation with a private renewable energy development company and financed by the tribe, a $2.6 million rebate from the Imperial Irrigation District, and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Technical assistance was also provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Labs.
Additional Resources
- Department of Energy: Information on the Tribal Energy Program and DOE's "Guide to Tribal Energy Development"
- National Congress of American Indians: Information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act resources for tribes
- U.S. Department of Energy: Tribal Energy
