Office Updates
Meet Our Team: Mike Stevenson, Lead General Engineer
Mike Stevenson joined the Office of Indian Energy as an engineer in May 2021. Duty stationed in Golden, Colorado, he serves as the lead engineer and oversees all the technical assistance the Office provides to Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Tribal and intertribal organizations.
Learn more about Mike and his work with Tribes in our latest Meet Our Team profile.
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Webinar Recording: Breaking Ground on the Future of Tribal Energy Financing and Rebates
 Thank you to everyone who joined us April 25 for the second webinar of the 2024 Tribal Energy Webinar Series!
Visit the webinar recording page to view each presentation and to download the slide decks. Our presenters did a great job explaining some dense but important information graphically through their slides. We can’t overemphasize the opportunity each of these programs provide, so don’t miss out!
Please note: The audio quality in the recording improves at 19:05 when the main presentations begin.
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The Tribal Energy Finance Program provided an overview of $20 billion in loans and loan guarantees designated for Tribes and Tribally owned entities, including qualifications, the application process, and the first conditional commitment to the Viejas Microgrid project.
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The Tribal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program provided updates on eligible upgrades, income limits, program design, Tribal consortium and designated third-party implementers, and new technical assistance opportunities.
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Keep in mind, while this is not a competitive program, Tribes that don’t apply for their allocated funds by May 31, 2025, will forfeit their funding.
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Opportunities to sell power to federal agencies: Speakers from the Indian Health Service and Office of Indian Energy explained the difference between the Indian Energy Purchase Preference (IEPP) and the Buy Indian Act, and different kinds of Energy Attribute Certificates that allow Tribes to sell renewable energy credits separately from the actual energy generated (see the U.S. General Services Administration [GSA] and U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] announcement below for details).
GSA and DOE Announce Opportunity for Tribes to Sell Renewable Energy Credits Under IEPP
GSA, in collaboration with DOE and the White House Council on Native American Affairs, announced the intent to purchase Energy Attribute Certificates from a Tribal majority-owned business organization using the IEPP.
The solicitation will lead to the first ever procurement under the IEPP in support of President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan goal of powering all federal operations with carbon-free electricity by 2030 and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to Tribal Nations.
Read the full GSA press release and learn more about the solicitation. Responses are due June 24, 2024, at 4 p.m. ET, and the solicitation is expected to be awarded in July.
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Office hours May 9, 1–2 p.m. ET: The DOE Federal Energy Management Program and the Office of Indian Energy are co-hosting office hours to answer questions about Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and the IEPP. Register here.
Now Hiring: Office of Indian Energy Project Monitors
 The Office of Indian Energy is hiring two contractor Project Monitors who will directly support project management activities, including Funding Opportunity Announcements, Merit Reviews, Peer Reviews, Award Negotiation, Project Monitoring, and closeout for grants and cooperative agreements.
Please view the job description on the Lindahl Reed website and share with anyone who may be interested!
- Title: Project Monitor - Office of Indian Energy
- Location: Golden, Colorado
- Job Type: Full-time hybrid
- Salary: $80,000–$115,000
- Experience: 5+ years professional experience
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or related field.
News
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7 Billion Solar for All Grants to Deliver Residential Solar
Awards Include Over $500 Million for Tribal Solar Projects
On April 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced 60 selectees that will receive $7 billion in grant awards through the Solar for All (SFA) grant competition to deliver residential solar projects to over 900,000 households nationwide.
The program will provide funds to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits across the country to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar, lowering energy costs for families, creating good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advancing environmental justice, and tackling climate change.
$504 million was awarded to six Tribal projects, and at least nine additional projects include Tribal participants or set-asides within their funding.
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Tribal Consortium: Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association Inc.—$62,330,000 The Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, Inc. and coalition partners GRID Alternatives (GRID), the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, and the Native CDFI Network will deploy Tribally owned residential solar, along with storage and necessary upgrades, for the benefit of the 35 Tribes located in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
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Tribe: Three Affiliated Tribes (The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation)—$135,580,000 The Northern Plains Tribal SFA program (NPT-SFA) will transform energy and economic systems in disadvantaged communities with deep and concentrated investments. Expanding to broader areas over time, NPT-SFA will focus first on North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, with additional Tribal participation in Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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Tribal Nonprofit: Oweesta Corporation—$156,120,000 Oweesta Corporation’s SFA program will address adoption barriers to Native residential and community solar deployment by acting as the intermediary between professional service partners, developers, Tribal governments, and Tribal organizations.
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Tribe: Hopi Utilities Corporation—$25,120,000 Hopi Utilities Corporation and partners Arizona State University and Hopi Renewable Energy Office will deploy residential solar and storage systems on the Hopi Reservation.
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Tribal Nonprofit: GRID Alternatives (Western Indigenous Network SFA)—$62,450,000 Grid Alternatives' Western Indigenous Network SFA program is based on its long experience working in Tribal communities—it is designed to maximize Tribal household benefits and energy sovereignty while addressing environmental destruction and climate change.
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Tribal Consortium: Tanana Chiefs Conference—$62,450,000 The Alaska Tribal SFA is a partnership between three organizations to provide comprehensive access to the benefits of SFA Tribal residents of Alaska. All Tribal residents of Alaska will have the opportunity to benefit from this project.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $26 Million to 37 State, Local, and Tribal Governments to Support Clean Energy Projects
On May 1, DOE announced more than $26.9 million to nine states, 27 local governments and one Tribe for the next round of formula grants through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
The awards announced this month include governments that will use Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program funds to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure, develop e-bike incentive programs, conduct municipal building energy audits, provide efficiency retrofits and upgrades for low-income communities, and more.
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Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, California will contribute funds toward creating a strategic energy plan to join the local public utility power grid and increase renewable energy generation in the community. Currently, the Tribe relies on propane generators as its primary power source. By making a plan to connect to the public utility grid and install renewable energy systems, the Tribe will take a critical step toward reducing energy costs and local emissions and bolstering energy resilience (Award amount: $10,000).
Funding Opportunities
Printable Flyer: Tribal Clean Energy Funding Opportunities
- Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands
- Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program
- Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning.
- 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize.
Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands
$50 million
Applications due May 30 at 5 p.m. ET.
Through this funding opportunity announcement, the DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations, to install clean energy technology on Tribal lands.
Download the full Funding Opportunity Announcement document to learn more and apply.
Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation
$90 million
Full applications due June 6.
This funding will support the adoption and implementation of building energy codes at the state and local level and develop related technical assistance.
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Eligible entities: State, local, and Tribal governments, for-profit and nonprofit entities, and higher education institutions.
Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) Program
$12 million
Apply by June 13.
Round Two of the R-STEP program will support the creation or expansion of state-based programs or initiatives that improve processes at the state and local levels. By supporting state-based programs that serve as a resource to local communities, R-STEP will improve renewable energy deployment outcomes for host communities, especially disadvantaged communities, local governments, and renewable energy developers.
Apply Now for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize!
$180 million
Apply by June 13.
This three-phase opportunity will help K-12 public schools across the country build capacity, perform energy audits, and plan/implement energy improvement projects across a portfolio of school facilities.
Events
- Selling Renewable Energy Certificates to the Federal Government–Office Hours
- Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference
- NCAI 2024 Mid Year Convention & Marketplace
- 2024 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo
- NAIHC Annual Convention & Tradeshow
- National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference
Selling Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to the Federal Government–Office Hours
📅 May 9 | 1–2 p.m. ET | Virtual Office Hours
The DOE Federal Energy Management Program and the Office of Indian Energy are co-hosting office hours to answer questions about RECs and the IEPP.
Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference
📅 May 21–23 | Anchorage, Alaska
National Congress of American Indians 2024 Mid Year Convention & Marketplace
📅 June 1–6 | Cherokee, North Carolina
2024 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo
📅 June 4–5 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
The DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization conference connects small businesses with DOE program offices, power marketing administrations, laboratory and technology centers, and prime contractors.
The conference includes a clean energy tech startup competition (OTT EPIC Pitch Competition), educational workshops, panel discussions, business matchmaking sessions, an exhibit hall with over 100 exhibitors, and a wide range of opportunities for Tribally-owned small businesses.
National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) Annual Convention & Tradeshow
📅 June 24–27 | Hollywood, Florida
Save the Date: National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference
📅 Sept. 9–12 | Anchorage, Alaska
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