In April—on Earth Day, no less—the Biden-Harris Administration tapped the 14 tribes of the Northern Plains Tribal Coalition for a stunning award. Over the next five years, $135,580,000 in EPA Solar for All funding will help the coalition deploy transformational solar energy projects in tribal communities across five states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The big news is as much about the 14 tribes coming together as it is about the award itself. That’s because the coalition represents the first time in history tribes in the region have joined forces to work together for a clean energy future.
The genesis of the coalition lies in the recognition that Native communities face challenges in obtaining grant funding from the Federal government. Tribes often lack representation or influence in the decision-making processes regarding the availability, distribution, and utilization of Federal funding. On a practical level, tribes may lack the organizational capacity or resources necessary to successfully navigate the complex and rigorous processes involved in applying for Federal grants.
Back in 2022, when President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, funding was carved out specifically for tribal nations to support clean energy transitions, new green jobs, and energy independence. But securing this funding was another matter altogether.
Tribes wanted to know: Are Native communities going to reap the economic benefits of the IRA? Will private corporations primed for such proposals continue to secure Federal funding, bypassing tribal nations and Native-led nonprofits?
In 2023, Indigenized Energy alongside the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Tribe (MHA) Nation, led the formation of the Northern Plains Tribal Coalition with the goal of using organizational strength to apply for Solar for All funding on behalf of the tribes. Indigenized Energy agreed to lead the grant application process, and to manage solar projects with the tribes.
Shelby Rae Keplin (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), Tribal Relations Specialist for Indigenized Energy, spent the last year building relationships with the 14 tribes. The coalition met once per month at virtual meetings, enabling coalition members to plan and prepare for next steps should the EPA award funding.
Keplin said, “Whether or not Solar for All funds were awarded, these tribes made clear that they were committed to a clean energy future. The work would continue regardless.”
But the funding did come.
Solar for All funding is expected to jumpstart solar economies for participating tribes, bringing new economic opportunities in areas that have historically been fossil-fuel dependent and which include some of the most economically disadvantaged communities in the nation.
Fred Fox, Councilman and Representative of White Shield East Segment and Executive Secretary of the MHA Nation said at a press conference on April 22, “The projects funded by Solar for All will create more than 150 jobs in Native communities. They will bring energy security and tremendous cost savings to residents of Tribal nations, including some of our most vulnerable residents–veterans, tribal elders, and children. An estimated 5,000 homes will have solar installed. That works out to roughly 300 residences for each tribe.”
Cody Two Bears, Executive Director of Indigenized Energy, acknowledged the historic achievement of the coalition by saying, “We are honored to work with all of the tribes in this coalition. The MHA Nation should be commended for its tremendous leadership. This is a tribe with a long and challenging energy history. And they stepped forward, building with us the first coalition of Native tribes in this region to work on energy sovereignty.”
While meetings of the Northern Plains Tribal Coalition will continue, albeit at a faster pace and increasingly 1:1 with Indigenized Energy, the work of securing additional funding is not over. Per the EPA proposal, Solar for All funding will be used to de-risk and unleash, or jumpstart, multiple forms of project financing and capital to ensure project viability and long-term sustainability. The emphasis is on the word jumpstart. At $135,580,000, the EPA Solar for All award amounts to approximately 55% of the original request ($235M). All told, more funding will be needed. Much more. Anticipated funding sources include direct investment by tribes, impact investors, philanthropy, and traditional financing institutions.
No doubt, the coalition will redouble its efforts to secure support, while planning for new solar projects and ultimately, energy sovereignty. Moving forward, they will do it together.
J. Garret Renville, Tribal Chairman, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, emphasized the uniqueness of this moment, saying, “We are 14 vastly different nations bringing different histories, different perspectives, different needs, and different ways of working. At the core of our existence are shared experiences and how we relate to one another. Through this historic collaboration, we will work side-by-side with tribes to develop solar projects that meet the distinct needs of each and every one.”
He added, “Change only happens when we’re working together”.
The 14 tribes participating in the Northern Plains Tribal Coalition are: