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**NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**John Horst, 303/275-4709 Tuesday, February 28, 2006**

**Tom Welch, 202/586-5806**

**Energy Department Awards to Native American Tribes Will Further
Renewable Energy Options**

**WASHINGTON, D.C.** -- Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman announced
today the Department of Energy (DOE) is making \$1.5 million available
to 11 Native American tribes to assess the potential for developing
renewable energy technologies on tribal lands. Most of the tribes will
conduct energy planning as initial steps toward achieving self
sufficiency, while others will conduct feasibility studies for the
development of renewable energy resources, including solar, wind,
biomass and hydro.

Among them is the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians in Eastern
Calif. Deep in the Coachella Valley, the Tribe's reservation is a desert
environment entirely below sea level, with an average elevation of minus
90 feet. Strong, consistent winds cross the desert floor, indicating
that wind power might be viable for this underdeveloped reservation.

In Alaska, Port Graham Village, a community of 140 members primarily of
Aluiig descent, will assess construction of a biomass facility to power
their cannery. The reservation, located at the southern tip of the Kenai
Peninsula on the lower Cook Inlet, is accessible only by boat or
airplane and rich in timber supply.

"The Department of Energy is committed to helping our Native American
neighbors develop clean, affordable energy resources," said Secretary of
Energy Samuel W. Bodman. "These renewable energy projects encourage
tribal self-sufficiency, reduce electricity costs on tribal lands and
create jobs."

Other projects competitively selected for funding this year include:

1.  **Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Wind River (Central Wyoming)** -- The
    tribe will determine the feasibility of developing a commercial wind
    facility on the reservation to maximize the economic benefits and
    create employment for tribal members. If developed, wind energy
    could power tribal operations and generate revenue through
    electricity export.

2.  **Fort Belknap Indian Community (North Central Montana)** -- The
    community will conduct a wind feasibility study to determine if
    resources are substantial enough to be developed economically and
    will also assess whether integration of their existing ethanol
    refinery and wind energy can provide an opportunity to become more
    energy independent. The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, home to the
    Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes, is located 40 miles south of the
    Canadian border in North Central Montana.

**(MORE)**

**NATIVE AMERICAN**

**-2-**

The reservation encompasses 675,147 acres and is the fourth largest
Indian

reservation in Montana.

1.  **Hoopa Valley Tribe (Northern California) --** The tribe plans to
    develop small-scale hydropower facilities that channel water from
    the meandering Trinity River on the reservation to meet electricity
    demand and for possible sale to local energy providers, while
    minimizing impacts to fisheries and natural resources.

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1.  **Morongo Band of Mission Indians (Southern California) --** The
    Southwest Tribal Energy Consortium, represented by the Morongo Band,
    is comprised of tribes in California, Arizona and New Mexico. The
    consortium's project will focus on use of wind, solar and wind/gas
    hybrid systems and has the potential to be an important first step
    toward developing a regional model that could be replicated on other
    reservations.

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1.  **Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska (Winnebago, Nebraska in Thurston
    County) --** The tribe will conduct a wind feasibility study to
    determine the viability of energy self-sufficiency on the
    reservation. The study will evaluate potential power markets,
    preliminary systems designs, as well as assess ways to maintain
    tribal social and cultural values. The Winnebago Indian Reservation
    covers approximately 120,000 acres of cropland, woodland and pasture
    bordering the Missouri River.

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5.  **Blackfeet Nation (Browning, Montana, near Canadian border) --**
    With some of the best wind resources in the U.S., the tribe will
    consider forming a Tribal Energy Organization capable of purchasing
    power and distributing its resources throughout the reservation. The
    new energy management organization will provide direction to create
    jobs to reduce the tribe's 63-percent unemployment rate and promote
    self-sufficiency.

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5.  **Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma (North Central Oklahoma) --** The Pawnee
    Nation will explore options for future energy needs due to high
    levels of growth. Since 1995, the tribe's budget has increased from
    \$3 million to \$22 million and the number of tribal employees from
    40 to 130. Despite the tremendous strides, the nation still faces
    many obstacles, including high rates of poverty, unemployment,
    dropout rates and various social problems.

6.  **Smith River Rancheria (Smith River, California, near Del Norte
    County) --** A coastal community about 50 miles inward from the
    Pacific Ocean, the tribe is committed to reducing energy costs and
    creating employment opportunities. The Rancheria will consider
    forming a Tribal Energy Organization to meet their goal of
    self-sufficiency.

7.  **Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (Belcourt, North Dakota) --** The
    tribe, located in the exact geographic center of North America, will
    study development of a long-term strategic energy plan to assess
    sustainable energy options, including wind, biomass, solar, energy
    efficiency, alternative fuels, distribution generation and tribal
    utility services.

**Renewable Energy Development on Tribal Lands**

+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| *        | **Project Title**   | *       | * | *     | **   | **T |
| *Tribe** |                     | *Techno | * | *Requ | Prop | ota |
|          |                     | logy/** | S | ested | osed | l** |
|          |                     |         | t | DOE   | Cost |     |
|          |                     | *       | a | Fu    | Sha  |     |
|          |                     | *Area** | t | nds** | re** |     |
|          |                     |         | e |       |      |     |
|          |                     |         | * |       |      |     |
|          |                     |         | * |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| **FEA    |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| SIBILITY |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| S        |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| TUDIES** |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Eastern  | Tribal Wind         | Wind    | W | 23    | 33   | 2   |
| Shoshone | Assessment Proposal |         | Y | 8,516 | ,750 | 72, |
| Tribe of | Eastern Shoshone    |         |   |       |      | 266 |
| Wind     | Tribe of the Wind   |         |   |       |      |     |
| River    | River Reservation   |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Fort     | Fort Belknap Indian | Wind    | M | 19    | 37   | 2   |
| Belknap  | Community           |         | T | 9,162 | ,134 | 36, |
| Indian   |                     |         |   |       |      | 296 |
| C        | Wind Energy         |         |   |       |      |     |
| ommunity | Feasibility Study   |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Hoopa    | Hoopa Valley        | Hydroe  | C | 10    | 16   | 1   |
| Valley   | Small-Scale         | lectric | A | 3,277 | ,846 | 20, |
| Tribe    | Hydroelectric       | (Low    |   |       |      | 123 |
|          | Feasibility Project | Head    |   |       |      |     |
|          |                     | 100kW   |   |       |      |     |
|          |                     | to 5MW) |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Morongo  | Southwest Tribal    | Wind    | C | 19    | 165  | 3   |
| Band of  | Energy Consortium   | and     | A | 9,267 | ,510 | 64, |
| Mission  | (SWTEC)---Proposed  | Solar   |   |       |      | 777 |
| Indians  | Two-Year Plan to    | and     |   |       |      |     |
| c/o      | Determine the       | W       |   |       |      |     |
| S        | Feasibility of      | ind/Gas |   |       |      |     |
| outhwest | Developing a        | Hybrid  |   |       |      |     |
| Tribal   | Multi-Tribe         | (       |   |       |      |     |
| Co       | Renewable Energy    | Organiz |   |       |      |     |
| nsortium | Project or Projects | ational |   |       |      |     |
| (Co      | to Leverage         | Devel   |   |       |      |     |
| nsortium | Available           | opment) |   |       |      |     |
| of 6     | Resources, Optimum  |         |   |       |      |     |
| Tribes)  | Siting Locations    |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | and Access to       |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Delivery            |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Infrastructure      |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Port     | The Potential for   | Biomass | A | 13    | 7    | 1   |
| Graham   | Biomass District    | (Woody  | K | 8,958 | ,984 | 46, |
| Village  | Energy Production   | biomass |   |       |      | 942 |
| Council  | in Port Graham,     | for     |   |       |      |     |
|          | Alaska---A One-Year | heat    |   |       |      |     |
|          | Feasibility Study   | and     |   |       |      |     |
|          | to Determine the    | power   |   |       |      |     |
|          | Potential Use of    | for     |   |       |      |     |
|          | Biomass Energy      | c       |   |       |      |     |
|          |                     | annery) |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| W        | Wind Generation on  | Wind    | N | 9     | 57   | 1   |
| innebago |                     | (Smal   | E | 4,147 | ,731 | 51, |
| Tribe of | Winnebago Tribal    | l-scale |   |       |      | 878 |
| Nebraska | Lands               | Se      |   |       |      |     |
|          |                     | lf-Gene |   |       |      |     |
|          |                     | ration) |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| **FIRST  |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| STEPS**  |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| A        | Augustine Energy    | Energy  | C | 7     | 25   | 97, |
| ugustine | Conservation and    | Options | A | 2,196 | ,000 | 196 |
| Band of  | Development         |         |   |       |      |     |
| Cahuilla | Project---Energy    |         |   |       |      |     |
| Mission  | options analysis    |         |   |       |      |     |
| Indians  |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| B        | Blackfeet Energy    | Energy  | M | 10    | 9    | 1   |
| lackfeet |                     | Organ   | T | 0,000 | ,590 | 09, |
| Energy   | Organization        | ization |   |       |      | 590 |
| Orga     | Development         |         |   |       |      |     |
| nization |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| Dev      |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| elopment |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Pawnee   | Pawnee Nation --    | Energy  | O | 9     | 21   | 1   |
| Nation   | Energy Options      | Options | K | 9,623 | ,596 | 21, |
|          | Analysis            |         |   |       |      | 219 |
| of       |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
| Oklahoma |                     |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Smith    | Research and        | Energy  | C | 9     | 0    | 98, |
| River    | Formation of Tribal | Organ   | A | 8,700 |      | 700 |
| R        | Energy/Utility      | ization |   |       |      |     |
| ancheria | Organization;       |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Development of      |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Business Structure, |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Controlling         |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Documents and       |         |   |       |      |     |
|          | Policies            |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+
| Turtle   | Development of a    | St      | N | 10    | 0    | 1   |
| Mountain | Strategic Energy    | rategic | D | 0,000 |      | 00, |
| Band of  | Action Plan for the |         |   |       |      | 000 |
| Chippewa | Turtle Mountain     | Energy  |   |       |      |     |
|          | Band of Chippewa    | Plan    |   |       |      |     |
|          | Indians             |         |   |       |      |     |
+----------+---------------------+---------+---+-------+------+-----+

**- DOE-**