Office of Indian Energy Updates
Connect With Us!
Do you have questions or ideas about funding for clean energy infrastructure or curriculum development at your TCU? Please reach out to Stephanie Bostwick, the TCU coordinator for the Office at Indian Energy, at stephanie.bostwick@hq.doe.gov.
Tribal Energy Snapshot: Blackfeet Community College
Solar Project Provides Cost Savings and Educational Opportunities for Students
 Installation of four grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems provided hands-on paid job training for college students and community members. Photo from Melissa Little Plume Weatherwax.
Blackfeet Community College, a Tribal College located in northwest Montana, installed four grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems to support energy needs of four campus buildings.
The project was developed to create access to renewable energy benefits for the Blackfeet community, generate energy cost savings for the college, and create opportunities for students to learn about renewable energy, explore energy career pathways, and participate in workforce development through hands-on training.
In this Tribal Energy Snapshot, learn more about the Blackfeet Community College Sustainable Energy Project, co-funded by the Office of Indian Energy.
News and Resources
RENEW Initiative to Support Six Pathway Summer Schools for Students from Underrepresented and Underserved Groups in STEM
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science will support nearly 140 high schoolers, recent high school graduates, and early undergraduate students from underrepresented groups and underserved schools in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through awards for six Pathway Summer Schools at six national laboratories. The funding comes from the Office of Science’s Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative.
The WDTS RENEW Pathway Summer Schools will join the existing DOE Office of Science portfolio of research internships, summer schools, and fellowships for all educational levels, ranging from high school to established faculty. More information is available at the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists website.
USDA Announces 2024 Tribal Scholarships and Fellowships
Honoring 29 years of partnerships with Tribal land-grant institutions
 On Oct. 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced two Tribal higher education opportunities to train the next generation of agricultural professionals and strengthen ties with Tribal higher education institutions.
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program offers a fast-track career path with USDA, and the Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Faculty Fellowship engages Tribal College faculty with USDA resources and research. These programs reflect USDA’s commitment to advance equity and remove barriers to service for Tribal Nations and encourage Tribal workforce development. Today’s announcement also marks the 29th anniversary of the day legislation was signed to give Tribal Colleges land-grant status.
Read the full announcement.
New White House Technical Assistance Guide
The White House recently released a new technical assistance guide that simplifies access to infrastructure, climate resilience, and clean energy funding for Tribes, states, local jurisdictions, and other communities.
The guide provides comprehensive information about more than 100 federal technical assistance programs that can support efforts to win federal funding and deploy it in communities across the nation.
DOE Fellows Will Support Efforts to Advance Clean Energy Solutions at Critical Energy Organizations Across the United States
Clean Energy Innovator Fellows in 17 States, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Will Gain Work Experience at Critical Regional, State, Utility, and Tribal Energy Organizations with Projects to Decarbonize the Electricity Sector and Enhance Grid Resilience
 On Oct. 12, DOE announced that 29 recent graduates and early career energy professionals have been matched with critical energy organizations across 5 Tribal entities and 17 states, as well as D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to support efforts to advance clean energy solutions.
They are the latest cohort in the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship, a unique workforce development program that provides fellows with on-the-job training and professional development opportunities while their hosts receive support to accelerate the transition to clean electricity and improve grid resiliency.
Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and will support a wide range of projects covering topics including clean energy integration, expanding electric vehicle charging, Tribal energy sovereignty, distribution-level grid services, and grid resilience and energy planning in Puerto Rico.
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Job Opportunities
- DOE’s Grid Deployment Office continues to actively recruit for a variety of positions based in Washington, D.C., as well as remote and hybrid positions. Last month, the Grid Deployment Office hosted a virtual information session and career fair. Check out the webinar recording to learn more about how you can help support our mission to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity when and where it is needed.
- The Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation is now accepting applications for 2024 scholarships of $2500. This year they expect to give between 15 and 20 awards. There will be at least one for a community college student, at least one other undergrad scholarship, one for an early grad student, three for diversity candidates, and two for Native American or Alaskan Native students.
- Applications to the National GEM Consortium fellowship program, which offers master’s and doctorate students from underrepresented backgrounds academic year fellowships and summer work experiences, are due Nov. 10.
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2024 Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program, organized through DOE’s Water Power Technology Office, provides a year of financial support for doctorate and master’s graduate students working on marine energy-focused research.
Funding Opportunities
Stay up to date on the latest clean energy funding opportunities for Tribes and Tribal entities on the Office of Indian Energy’s Current Funding Opportunities page.
Community Energy Innovation Prize—Collegiate Track
$7.5 million
Collegiate applications due Nov. 3.
The Community Energy Innovation Prize will award up to $7.5 million in cash prizes, as well as mentorship opportunities to support local organizations with proven track records of engaging underserved communities and/or promoting environmental, climate, and energy justice as they enact community-led climate and clean energy solutions.
The Collegiate Track challenges students to work alongside a community partner to identify a critical issue in their community related to the clean energy transition.
Tribal Electrification Program
$150 million
Full application deadline Dec. 22.
The Department of the Interior’s Tribal Electrification Program will coordinate financial and technical assistance to Tribes to increase the number of Tribal homes with zero-emissions electricity.
Energy Efficient Transformer and Extended Product System Rebates
$20 million
Apply by Dec. 8 for transformers.
DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is providing rebates to qualified entities—such as domestic manufacturers, utilities, hospitals, schools, and other operators—to replace energy inefficient distribution transformers with qualified energy efficient transformers.
The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is also providing rebates to qualified entities that purchased and installed or newly incorporated an extended product system (industrial and large HVAC systems that are combinations of electric motors, electronic control, and driven load, e.g., pumps, fans, and compressors).
Events
2023 Office of Indian Energy Program Review
📅 Nov. 13–16 | Denver, Colorado
This annual event is an opportunity for Tribal leaders and staff to meet, learn from other Tribes that are pursuing clean energy projects, and share in each other's successes.
DOE Prizes and Competitions: A Sample of Opportunities
Educational Engagement and Training Series: Technical Assistance for MSIs, TCUs, and HBCUs
📅 Nov. 15 | 12:30–1:30 p.m. ET
Join DOE's Office of Economic Impact and Diversity to learn about opportunities for faculty, staff, and/or higher education institutions serving underrepresented and minority populations.
BRIDGES Bioenergy 101 Webinar: Bring Real World Bioenergy Case Studies to Your Students
📅 Nov. 16 | 4–5 p.m. ET
The Bioenergy Research and Education Bridge (BRIDGES) Program is a free case study-based education curriculum that is available online. Bioenergy knowledge is not required.
Each BRIDGES case study toolkit includes a student and instructor guide focused on research and development scenarios using bioenergy technologies. Educators and students will explore solutions for a more secure energy future, while addressing cultural responsiveness and issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The BRIDGES Bioenergy 101 webinar will show educators how to implement each case study into their curricula.
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