Solar Power
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We began in March 2010 with Solar – a renewable technology that can be used across a range of scales and climate zones.
Alaskan Native Gwich'in Communities north of the Arctic Circle have figured out how to replace their use of diesel fuel for their energy needs(which must be brought in by air tankers due to the lack of roads in the area) with PV systems during the summer months of midnight sun.
The Pueblo of Jemez, with their abundant sunshine, is developing a larger, utility scale solar energy project and is one of the first tribal communities that is selling their solar power back to the local electrical utility and to Los Alamos- providing a stable, profitable revenue stream to the Pueblo.
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwa in North Central Minnesota is striving to achieve sustainability, reduce revenue that leaves the community, and create green jobs Leech Lake tribal members. Over 30 homes have now been fit with solar furnaces. Results have been positive and interest from the community is growing.
View the presentation
Read/listen to radio spot on MN Public Radio
Additional solar resources
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Tribal Project Assistance – NREL helps tribes develop and implement sustainable energy strategies with technical expertise and capabilities that support renewable energy technology deployment projects across the continental United States and Alaska.
- The U.S. Department of Energy's Tribal Energy Program has created a Web site and Guide to assist tribal communities in developing energy resources, including solar. The Guide to Tribal Energy Development includes steps to determine the feasibility of your project and all the related issues — the environment, economics, risk factors, legal issues, financing, etc. The site includes many of the forms and documents your tribe may need when developing energy resources on your tribal lands.
- Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (NW SEED) has published a guidebook, Energy Planning: A Guide for NW Indian Tribes, which was designed as a tool to help Native American Tribes develop a plan to achieve energy independence. The guide contains information and resources to help select and implement projects to conserve energy, generate clean, renewable energy, construct efficient and environmentally friendly buildings and other energy related community or business projects — all tailored to the geography of the Northwest and the people of its Tribes.
