**DOE Funds 14 Native American Tribes to Develop Renewable Energy**

Residing in the upper peninsula of Michigan, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indians is well removed from civilization. The Tribe
struggles to meet its energy needs as it stretches across a vast area of
the Upper Great Lakes and into Canada. Existing electricity is
expensive, considering the annual income per capita is \$7,106 per year.

With strong wind resources though, the Chippewa might find themselves in
a good position to benefit from the use of clean energy alternatives.
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced today \$3 million in
grants to 14 Native American tribes, including the Sault Ste. Marie
Tribe, to advance the development of renewable energy technologies on
tribal lands. Fourteen out of 37 proposals were selected for funding
this year.

\"The U.S. Department of Energy\'s Tribal Energy Program is committed to
helping our Native American Tribes develop clean, affordable and
reliable energy options,\" Abraham said. \"These projects will encourage
tribal self-sufficiency, increase employment and promote economic
development.\"

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians plans to conduct a study
to determine whether or not resources are adequate to develop wind power
on the reservation.

Other projects to receive DOE funding include:

-   **Colville Confederated Tribes (North Central Washington)**:
    Installation of a substation to reduce transmission loss from the
    tribally owned Colville Indian Power and Veneer (CIPV) Plant. The
    Tribe estimates its losses from \$160,000 - 260,000 per years in
    transmission loss from the biomass-fueled plant.

-   **Ramona Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians (Anza, California)**:
    Installation of a wind/photovoltaic hybrid system to provide heat,
    power and communication needs for the Tribe\'s ecotourism resort and
    training center. This is intended to complete the power needs for
    Ramona\'s ecotourism business and make Ramona the first reservation
    to operate entirely off the grid using only renewable energy/energy
    conservation technology.

-   **Northern Cheyenne Nation, Inc. (Lame Deer, Montana)**: Study to
    determine if resources are available to build a wind facility. The
    study will also examine the potential of solar and biomass
    resources.

-   **Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (Choctaw, Mississippi)**:
    Study to determine how effective the use of poultry litter, either
    alone or mixed with wood residues, can be when used to generate
    electricity for the reservation or for export back into the grid.

-   **Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (Central Oregon)**: Three-year
    comprehensive study of nine sites to determine the development of
    wind power.

-   **Pueblo of Jemez (North Central New Mexico)**: Geothermal study
    along the Jemez River to assess the feasibility of using resources
    to heat spas, bathhouses or greenhouses. For centuries, the Tribe
    has made use of a low-temperature geothermal system that manifests
    itself as thermal seeps and springs along the river.

-   **Oneida Tribe of Indians (new Green Bay, Wisconsin)**: Study across
    the reservation to determine whether to increase renewable energy
    technologies, such as wind, solar hot water and photovoltaics to
    help establish an independent Tribal utility company. Such a utility
    would lower costs, create tribal jobs and enhance tribal
    sovereignty.

-   **Confederated Tribe-Umatilla Indian Reservation (Pendleton,
    Oregon)**: A study to determine what renewable resources are
    available on this tribal land. The study will last 12 months and
    identify the six best options for renewable energy development.

-   **Kaw Nation of Oklahoma (Kaw City, Oklahoma, near Kansas-Oklahoma
    Border)**: Wind power generation study for the Kaw Nation\'s tribal
    housing, services and enterprises in Newkirk, Oklahoma. Also to
    examine the potential of integrating the wind facility into a
    re-development plan for tribally owned property.

-   **Yukon-Kuskokwin Health Corporation (Bethel, Alaska, southwest
    Alaska)**: Wind power generation study for YKHC facilities and
    surrounding communities. Energy costs savings resulting from the
    project would allow the YKHC to direct more funding toward its core
    mission of providing quality health care to the Alaska Native
    communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta region.

-   **White Mountain Apache (Tucson, Arizona)**: Biomass cogeneration
    study that would develop energy from logging and mill waste. The
    reservation occupies approximately 1.66 million acres, much of which
    is forested.

-   **Makah Tribal Council (Neah Bath, Washington)**: The Makah plan to
    determine the feasibility of developing wind, micro-hydroelectric
    and solar power on their land. This traditional whaling nation has
    grown in population, increasing its demand for power. The
    reservation occupies the northwest point of the continental U.S.

-   **Manzanita Band of Mission Indians (San Diego County,
    California)**: Wind source study to determine if resources are
    abundant and commercially-viable on their lands. Manzanita is
    located 4,000 feet above sea level on the Tecate Divide between the
    Pacific Coast and the Imperial Valley.

**Renewable Energy Development on Tribal Lands**

  ------------------------- ------------------------ ----------- -----------
  **Technology (Type)**     **Native American Tribe  **Funding   **Cost
                            and Location**           Amount**    Share**

  Development of a          Colville Confederated    \$581,700   \$124,000
  substation to allow       Tribes (North Central                
  marketing excess power    Washington)                          
  from biomass                                                   

  Development of a wind/    Ramona Band of Cahuilla  \$270,736   \$321,500
  photovoltaic and propane  Mission Indians (Anza,               
  generator hybrid system   California)                          

  Wind, solar and biomass   Northern Cheyenne        \$230,000   \$68,400
  study                     Nation, Inc. (Lame Deer,             
                            Montana)                             

  Wind power generation     Sault Ste. Marie Tribe   \$157,944   \$148,861
  study                     (Michigan, upper                     
                            peninsula)                           

  Biomass (poultry litter   Mississippi Band of      \$127,990   \$0
  and/or wood residue)      Choctaw Indians                      
  generation study          (Choctaw, Mississippi)               

  Wind power generation     Confederated Tribes of   \$463,796   \$60,561
  study                     Warm Springs (Central                
                            Oregon)                              

  Geothermal study          Pueblo of Jemez (North   \$173,086   \$0
                            Central New Mexico)                  

  Wind, solar (photovoltaic Oneida Tribe of Indians  \$300,000   \$74,585
  and hot water) and        (near Green Bay,                     
  building energy           Wisconsin)                           
  efficiency study                                               

  Phase 1 renewable energy  Confederated             \$172,417   \$0
  study                     Tribe-Umatilla Indian                
                            Reservation (Pendleton,              
                            Oregon)                              

  Wind and biomass study    Kaw Nation of Oklahoma   \$184,649   \$76,157
                            (Kaw City, Oklahoma)                 
  ------------------------- ------------------------ ----------- -----------

  ------------------------- ------------------------ ----------- ----------
  Wind power generation     Yukon-Kuskokwin Health   \$68,490    \$0
  study to offset high cost Corporation (Bethel,                 
  diesel generated power    Alaska)                              

  Biomass cogeneration      White Mountain Apache    \$28,007    \$0
  study                     Tribe (Tucson, Arizona)              

  Wind, micro-hydroelectric Makah Tribe Council      \$112,935   \$0
  and solar study           (Neah Bay, Washington)               

  Wind study                Manzanita Band of        \$119,244   \$12,605
                            Mission Indians (San                 
                            Diego County,                        
                            California)                          
  ------------------------- ------------------------ ----------- ----------

News Media Contact:

John Horst, 303-275-4709

john_horst@nrel.gov