TRIBAL CONSULTATION NOTIFICATION

USDA Seeks Input from Tribal Leaders on Advancing Clean Energy for Tribal 

Communities Through the Inflation Reduction Act

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under 

Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA will host a Tribal consultation on Thursday, Dec. 

15, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

Tribal leaders and their proxies are invited to give input on new funding authorities under the Inflation 

Reduction Act (IRA) that will help advance clean energy for people living in Tribal communities. Tribes, Tribal 

enterprises, Tribal utilities and other non-Tribal applicants may be eligible for funding under the IRA programs 

offered by USDA. 

To register to attend the consultation, visit:

https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dYblofYFQqaB0iLGoW5tNQ.

USDA is also hosting a Tribal Caucus from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Tribal leaders are invited to register to attend 

the caucus at https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dYblofYFQqaB0iLGoW5tNQ. 

Proxies who plan to attend the consultation or the caucus may submit a proxy form to aian@usda.gov by 

Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. Proxies may email aian@usda.gov to request a proxy form.

In August, Congress passed the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic legislative package known as the 

Inflation Reduction Act to reduce energy costs for families and create thousands of good-paying jobs for people 

in rural and Tribal communities. The White House also released a series of fact sheets on the IRA, including 

How the Inflation Reduction Act Helps Tribal Communities.

This commitment to cleaner energy will help USDA Rural Development provide resources to reduce climate 

pollution and ensure that rural people and their communities have access to a clean, secure energy supply to 

keep people and economies prepared for the future. 

The Act supports funding authorities for renewable electric infrastructure, including electric vehicle 

transportation. It also supports new funding authorities for related energy and electric programs, including 

programs under USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS). 

The Inflation Reduction Act provides $12.2 billion in funding to USDA to develop or expand renewable energy,

biofuels and energy efficiency infrastructure, including:

• $1 billion for RUS loans for renewable energy infrastructure loans with up to 50% loan forgiveness.

• $2.025 billion for renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects through the Rural Energy for

America Program, with $303 million set aside for underutilized technologies and technical assistance.
• $500 million in RBCS grants for infrastructure improvements through the Higher Blends Infrastructure 

Incentive Program to support the sale and use of blends of ethanol greater than 10 percent or biodiesel 

greater than 5 percent.

• $9.7 billion for RUS to offer loans, grants, loan modifications and other financial assistance to help 

deploy or purchase renewable energy systems, zero-emission systems and carbon capture systems; or to 

make energy-efficiency improvements to generation and transmission systems of eligible entities.

Tribal leaders are encouraged to submit written consultation remarks by Jan. 15, 2023 at aian@usda.gov. 

To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit GovDelivery subscriber page. 

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.