As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to help tribal communities across the country enhance their energy security, build a sustainable energy future, and combat climate change, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that five Native American Tribes will receive on-the-ground technical support from DOE’s  Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program.

START is part of the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs’ (Office of Indian Energy) effort to foster long-term and meaningful change in Native American and Alaska Native communities by accelerating the development and deployment of renewable energy projects on tribal lands. Aimed at moving community- and commercial-scale energy projects closer to implementation by overcoming project development challenges and barriers, START will assist tribal project teams and tribal legal/finance specialists to reach a late-state development decision point or milestone.

“The time for tribal communities to begin reaping the benefits of the abundant renewable energy resources that exist on their lands has come,” said Christopher Clark Deschene, Director of the DOE Office of Indian Energy. “Through this third round of START Program technical assistance, the DOE Office of Indian Energy is extending its commitment to provide Tribes with the resources and skills needed to execute energy projects aimed at building community resiliency, fostering energy self-sufficiency, increasing economic competitiveness, and creating a sustainable path to a secure energy future.”

Through the START Program, teams comprised of technical experts from DOE and DOE’s National Laboratory experts will provide customized technical support to selected Tribes over a 12-month period. This includes working directly with the tribal project team and tribal legal/finance specialists who will address late-stage project development decisions, negotiations, and agreements.

The following Tribes were selected for the 2015 START Program:

• Blue Lake Rancheria (Blue Lake, California), one of 16 White House Climate Action Champions, will receive technical assistance to validat the economics of a community microgrid with 0.5 megawatt (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) and 800 kilowatt-hours of battery storage. START will also conduct a cost/benefit analysis of the Tribe’s current renewable energy projects and help develop a measurement and verification plan and strategic communications plan.
• Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians (Grand Portage, Minnesota) will receive technical assistance to confirm project feasibility and determine the most appropriate technical solution for transporting energy from a 1.5–2.5 MW community-scale wind project intended to provide energy to tribally owned facilities and homes in the community.
• Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin (Oneida, Wisconsin) will receive START assistance with a technical and financial analysis of a roughly 700-kilowatt solar PV project. The Tribe will also receive assistance with contractual and transactional matters as it works to develop its project.
• Picuris Pueblo (Peñasco, New Mexico) will receive START assistance to understand and prioritize its resource opportunities and project financing options as it seeks to develop approximately 1 MW of solar PV on its land and facilities.
• Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (Towaoc, Colorado) will receive START assistance to understand its market and resources to help prioritize project development efforts and pursue potential renewable energy projects, including community- and commercial-scale solar, small-scale hydro, and a closed-loop hydro storage project.

START-supported projects and communities were selected through a competitive application process, and applicants designated as White House Climate Action Champions received preferential consideration.

In addition to selecting these communities to receive Renewable Energy Project Development Assistance under START, the DOE Office of Indian Energy recently announced that five communities in Alaska will receive technical support through the START Alaska Program.

The DOE Office of Indian Energy directs, fosters, coordinates and implements energy planning, education, management and programs that assist Tribes with energy development capacity building, energy infrastructure, energy costs and electrification of Indian lands and homes.