Solar for All: Solar for Tribal Communities Highlights

Highlights from the $7 billion Solar for All selected applicants  

Background: The Solar for All program is a $7 billion investment to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. The program is designed to deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution, save communities money on their utility bills, create high-quality jobs, and mobilize financing to stimulate the deployment of more residential solar projects. 100% of the $7 billion in funding for the Solar for All program is dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities, exceeding President Biden’s Justice40 commitment.

Many of the Solar for All applications that have been selected for funding under this monumental program invest in Tribally-driven and long-lasting programs that establish opportunities for Tribal communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. Through the deployment of the programs highlighted below and other Solar for All awards with Tribal benefits, Tribes across the nation will have greater access to programs that reduce energy costs and deliver electricity to households that experience frequent and extended outages. For example, many of the awarded projects will provide funding and technical assistance to support solar development and storage, provide workforce development, lower utility bills, and develop programs designed and implemented within the local community. Please note the sample of plans featured below are not exhaustive, and some details may change as the programs are implemented.

Disclaimer: The summaries are based on information provided in the application packages that selected applicants submitted to EPA and that were reviewed and selected in accordance with the evaluation criteria in Section V.A: Evaluation Criteria of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Note that EPA will work with the selected applicants to refine their application packages into detailed workplans that are subject to final approval from the EPA Award Official. Note that selections are contingent on resolution of all administrative disputes relating to the competition.

GRID Alternatives: GRID Alternatives' program is based on its long experience working in Tribal communities and is designed to maximize Tribal household benefits and energy sovereignty while addressing environmental destruction and climate change. By providing financial assistance in the form of grants and incentives—along with technical assistance from organizations with deep experience in equitable deployment of Tribal residential-serving renewable energy—GRID Alternatives will provide solar to thousands of Native American households across the nation. Program benefits include expanded access to solar and storage in Tribal Nations; vastly improved and more affordable integrated on- and off-grid energy solutions; job training and inclusive workforce development opportunities for Tribal members and opportunities for Tribal- and member-owned business enterprises; increased resilience against climate change impacts and other harms; and community-centered engagement and participatory governance based on relationships of respect and trust.

Hopi Utilities Corporation: Hopi Utilities Corporation and partners Arizona State University and Hopi Renewable Energy Office will deploy residential solar and storage systems on the Hopi Reservation. The Hopi Tribe is a chronically underserved, disadvantaged, coal-impacted community that suffers from high poverty rates and extreme energy inequity. 35% of Hopi households do not have electricity access, and households that are grid-connected suffer from frequent and extended outages. This program will provide direct benefits to low-income and unelectrified households, mobilizing additional financing and tax—all at no upfront cost to residents.

The Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association Inc.: The Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, Inc. and coalition partners GRID Alternatives, the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, and the Native CDFI Network will deploy Tribally-owned residential solar, along with storage and necessary upgrades, for the benefit of the 35 Tribes located in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The coalition will leverage the deep expertise and experience of its members to build a program that empowers Tribes and tribal energy champions, provides technical assistance necessary to plan and build solar projects that benefit residents on Tribal Lands in the Midwest, and includes workforce development to enhance Tribal self-determination and self-sufficiency.

Oweesta Corporation: Oweesta Corporation’s Solar for All program will address adoption barriers to Native residential and community solar deployment by acting as the intermediary between professional services partners, developers, Tribal governments and Tribal organizations. Oweesta’s program will support equitable solar deployment across all Tribal census tracts nationwide. It will employ a systems-building approach to centralize regulatory compliance information, technical deployment, commercial solar standards, and Tribal housing expertise all within the framework of experienced Tribal Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

Tanana Chiefs Conference: The Alaska Tribal Solar for All program is a partnership between three organizations to provide comprehensive access to the benefits of Solar for All for Tribal residents of Alaska. Tanana Chiefs Conference, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation each have developed programs that will provide Tribal residents throughout Alaska the opportunity to benefit from solar. Alaska supports over 40% of the nation’s Federally Recognized Tribes and is the state with the highest proportion of Alaska Native and American Indian residents (19.6%) in the nation. Whether a Tribal member owns a house with sufficient capacity to manage distributed generation or a Tribal member lives in a community that operates a small isolated microgrid where rooftop solar isn’t feasible, all Tribal residents of Alaska will have the opportunity to benefit from this program.

Three Affiliated Tribes (The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation)): The Northern Plains Tribal Solar for All program (NPT-SFA), led by Three Affiliated Tribes, will transform energy and economic systems in disadvantaged communities with deep investments in solar energy. Because of the region’s high electricity prices, frequent power outages, and inefficient housing stock, NPT-SFA’s work will focus first in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, later expanding to benefit tribes in Wisconsin, and Wyoming. NFP-SFA's strategy is based on a successful pilot program on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana and will establish Tribally-owned and managed solar energy systems sited at Tribal members’ homes. NPT-SFA will also implement innovative apprenticeship programs, education, and training partnerships to engage the community and build capacity in the region to deliver the benefits of clean energy.