Native Organizations Fill Gaps In Federal Support For Renewable Energy
Native-led renewable energy organizations and projects are blossoming across the United States with the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) serving as the game changing catalyst. The IRA provides Tribes with renewable energy tax credits for the first time (covering up to 70% of project cost) and increases funding for Tribal energy loans from $2 to $20 billion!
Accessing this money, however, is a different story. “The funding is like a fire hose for Tribal communities. It’s great for Tribes that can harness the money with 30% down, but feels like a huge gaslight for the many Tribes who lack development resources, capital funding, or adequate transmission lines to access it,” said Joseph McNeil Jr., Standing Rock Sioux member and Manager of SAGE, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s energy organization.