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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
The Department of the Interior announced $71 million in new funding available to help Tribal communities electrify their homes.
The announcement Wednesday represents the second round of funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Electrification Program, a critical initiative aimed at closing the electricity access gap in Indian Country.
"As the Interior Department implements this new program, we will continue to support Tribes as they work to develop their electricity infrastructure and help meet our shared clean energy goals," Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a statement.
The funding comes from a larger $150 million allocation secured through the Inflation Reduction Act, the single largest federal investment in combating climate change. This builds upon the $72 million awarded in the program's first round earlier this year.
The funding, which is part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will bring electricity to homes in Tribal communities that have never had it; it will have a fundamental and significant impact on businesses, communities and families,” Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said in a statement.
The Tribal Electrification Program takes a tribally-driven approach, acknowledging that each Nation has distinct energy needs and implementation capacities. The program offers financial and technical assistance to Tribes for several key areas:
- Connecting homes to clean energy transmission and distribution systems.
- Providing electricity to unelectrified homes through zero-emission systems.
- Upgrading existing homes to utilize clean energy sources.
- Supporting necessary home repairs and retrofits for clean energy installations.
- Developing clean energy workforce opportunities within Indian Country.
This initiative addresses a longstanding disparity. A 2000 Energy Information Administration report found that 14% of households on reservations lacked electricity, ten times higher than the national average. A 2022 Department of Energy report identified over 16,800 unelectrified Tribal homes, concentrated in the Southwest and Alaska.
The Tribal Electrification Program aligns with the Biden-Harris administration's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to direct 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal investments towards disadvantaged communities, including tribal nations.
