Green Power
Native American
Links
DOE Tribal
Energy Program
DOE's Tribal Energy Program
provides financial and technical assistance to tribes for feasibility studies
and shares the cost of implementing sustainable renewable energy installations
on tribal lands. This program promotes tribal energy self- sufficiency and
fosters employment and economic development on America's tribal lands. The
program website provides information about Native American renewable energy
and energy efficiency projects that have been funded by the Department of
Energy. The site includes valuable information such as: business
opportunities, including the latest tribal energy solicitation; case studies
on renewable energy projects on tribal lands; reports and resources; and links
to other relevant sites.
SIPI Renewable Energy Program
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute's (SIPI) renewable energy
program seeks to establish renewable energy technology hardware on and around
the campus, which will supplement and create the educational resources to
teach renewable energy courses at its campus. Under the subject agreement,
SIPI will design, install, operate, and maintain photovoltaic, wind and solar
hot water systems to be located at the SIPI campus and educate and train
Native American students in renewable energy technology.
Blackfeet
Community College Wind Turbine Project
Roy Nollkamper, member services manager for Glacier
Electric Cooperative, reports on the installation of a
wind turbine at Blackfeet Community College in a
recent issue of Rural Montana Magazine. "With the
installation of the 10 kilowatt Bergey wind turbine
complete, students at the Blackfeet Community College
will now begin to compile and study the data produced
by the project," Nollkamper writes. "The
turbine, acquired by a grant written by Ron Ladue
through the college, will also provide power for
approximately 50 percent of the load at the vocational
center where the generator is located. Any excess
production will be passed onto Glacier Electric’s
system."
Energy Consumption and Renewable Energy
Development Potential on Indian Lands
Renewable energy projects
are considered particularly appropriate on Indian lands because they are generally
environmentally benign and harmonize well with nature, consistent with Indian
culture. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) undertook a study of the
cost and availability of electricity to Indian households on Indian lands, as
well as the feasibility of using renewable energy there. Because most tribal lands
are remote and sparsely populated, they are also considered to be good sites for
testing the market potential of dispersed energy sources like renewables. The report, which
examines electricity use, prices, renewable energy potential for both federally
recognized Indian reservations, and tribal jurisdictional statistical areas, can
be downloaded in pdf format at the link above.
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