- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Energy | Environment
LAS VEGAS — The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $50 million funding opportunity for tribal energy development during a lunchtime session today at the Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas.
Eric Mahroum, director of the DOE Office of Indian Energy, unveiled the funding during a fireside chat with Derrick Watchman, chairman of the board of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, which produces the annual summit, known as RES.
The funding opportunity — aimed at “unleashing tribal energy development” — will support a range of projects, from community-scale installations to large-scale energy development across sectors including geothermal, oil and gas, nuclear and critical minerals.
The Unleashing Tribal Energy Development NOFO supports three categories: construction and installation of community-scale energy projects, predevelopment activities, and planning and feasibility work for large-scale projects.
“This investment reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to ensuring tribal communities have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement.
The funding is open to federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native corporations, tribal organizations, tribal energy development organizations, and tribal colleges and universities.
During the RES announcement, Mahroum said the funding opportunity represents the first Native-specific energy initiative under the Trump administration.
“This NOFO aligns with the priorities of the Trump 47 administration — to advance affordable, reliable, and secure energy,” Mahroum said. “This can be small scale, large scale, critical minerals, data centers, oil and gas, geothermal, nuclear — you name it.”
Cost-share requirements depend on the type of work proposed. Construction and installation of community-scale projects require a 10% cost share. Predevelopment activities do not require any cost share and planning work does not require a cost share.
DOE officials said the NOFO is designed to support projects that may later qualify for financing through the Office of Energy Dominance Financing’s Tribal Energy Financing Program, which provides loan support for large-scale projects.
“Energy projects that go from planning and development to loan are a testament to the power of DOE’s collaboration with tribes to drive forward large energy development projects,” EDF Director Gregory A. Beard said.
A public webinar on the funding opportunity is scheduled for April 9. Applications are due by July 24 at 5 p.m. EST.
Brian Edwards contributed reporting.
