**Energy Department to Fund Tribes\' \'First Steps\' in Developing Clean
Energy**

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced today that the Department
of Energy (DOE) plans to award \$800,000 to nine Native American tribes
to support the initial steps needed to develop renewable energy and
energy efficiency projects on tribal lands. Initial steps include
strategic planning, energy options analysis, human capacity building and
organizational development planning.

\"With financial and technical support from the Department of Energy,
these tribes can take the steps in developing energy resources that can
lead to a stronger economy, more jobs and a better life for tribal
members,\" Secretary Abraham said.

Among those receiving awards are the Hopi Tribe, Kykotsmovi, Arizona.
The Hopi reservation comprises approximately 650,000 acres in northern
Arizona, where the Hopi people have lived for more than a thousand
years. The reservation is rich in energy resources, including coal,
solar and wind.

With DOE funding, the tribe will develop a comprehensive energy plan to
encourage development of businesses providing renewable energy and
energy efficiency products and services. The tribe\'s goal is to
diversify their current coal-dominated economy.

Other projects to receive DOE funding include:

-   **Smith River Rancheria (Smith River, Calif.)** \-- The leadership
    of the Smith River Rancheria, a small reservation located in
    northern California on the Pacific Ocean, will develop a long-term
    plan for energy self-sufficiency focusing on renewable energy
    technologies.

-   **Cabazon Band of Mission Indians (Indio, Calif.)** \-- The Cabazon
    will undertake a strategic energy planning effort to help the Tribe
    achieve economic diversity and self-sufficiency, and protect the
    health and welfare of tribal members. The Cabazon Band Reservation
    has the seventh highest electricity rates among Native American
    reservations.

-   **Seneca Nation of Indians (Salamanca, N.Y.)** \-- Beginning with
    strategic planning and evaluation of resource potential, the Seneca
    Nation will pursue energy efficiency improvements and development of
    its wind, hydro and biomass power resources. The tribe hopes to
    achieve energy self-sufficiency.

-   **White Earth Reservation (White Earth, Minn.)** \-- Several
    northern Minnesota tribes interested in building a common foundation
    for strategic tribal energy capacity have banded together for
    strategic energy resource planning.

-   **Citizen Potawatomi Nation (Shawnee, Okla.)** \-- The Citizen
    Potawatomi Nation, ninth largest tribe in the U.S. with more than
    24,000 members, will conduct strategic energy planning to develop
    renewable energy resources and explore energy efficiency options.

-   **Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma (Apache, Okla.)** \-- The
    Apache Tribe will create an energy office within the tribal
    government to serve as a focal point for energy issues, assess the
    energy efficiency of tribal facilities and conduct long-range energy
    planning.

-   **Yurok Tribe (Klamath, Calif.)** \-- The Yurok Tribe, with about
    3,500 members in northern California, will conduct a study to
    determine the need for, and the economic feasibility of, a tribal
    electric power utility.

-   **Samish Indian Nation (Anacortes, Wash.)** \-- The Samish Nation
    will develop a 10-year action plan for tribal energy projects,
    conduct a study of existing energy resources and develop
    construction techniques for the development of an energy efficient
    community on 80 acres of tribal land.

**First Steps Toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
on Tribal Lands**

  ---------------- ---------------------------- --------------- ---------------
  **Applicant      **Project Title**            **Proposed DOE  **Proposed Cost
  Name**                                        Funds \***      Share**

  The Hopi Tribe   Formation of Hopi            \$60,000        \$0
                   Sustainable Energy Program                   

  Smith River      Smith River Rancheria Energy \$49,488        \$0
  Rancheria        Strategic Planning and                       
                   Self-Sufficiency Project:                    
                   Development of a 20-Year                     
                   Plan to Become Energy                        
                   Efficient and to Develop                     
                   Renewable Energy Sources for                 
                   the Community and for                        
                   Economic Development                         

  Cabazon Band of  Development of a Tribal      \$55,050        \$37,887
  Mission Indians  Energy Plan                                  

  Seneca Nation of Seneca Nation of Indians     \$64,000        \$0
  Indians          Strategic Energy Resource                    
                   Plan                                         

  White Earth      Minnesota Tribal Coalition   \$144,510       \$29,400
  Reservation      Tribal Utility Capacity                      
                   Building Project                             

  Citizen          Citizen Potawatomi Nation    \$72,000        \$20,000
  Potawatomi       Strategic Energy Planning                    
  Nation           Project (Area 1)                             

  Fort Sill Apache Fort Sill Apache Energy      \$98,111        \$0
  Tribe of         Planning Project                             
  Oklahoma                                                      

  Yurok Tribe      Area 3: Energy Organization  \$93,000        \$0
                   Development                                  

  Samish Indian    Strategic Energy Planning    \$91,079        \$25,237
  Nation                                                        

  **TOTAL**                                     **\$727,238**   **\$112,524**
  ---------------- ---------------------------- --------------- ---------------

\* Funding subject to negotiations.

News Media Contact:

Tom Welch, DOE-HQ, 202-586-5806

John Horst, DOE Golden Field Office, 303-275-4709