Opportunities to grow tribal clean energy in the US

Abstract

As governments plan their transitions to renewable energy, Indigenous peoples must be deeply involved. In the United States, tribes, who like many marginalized communities often bear disproportionate public health and socioeconomic burdens from climate change and legacy pollution, now have the opportunity to redress historical injustices while helping meet national sustainable energy needs. Tribal lands contain an estimated 6.5% of utility-scale technical potential for US renewable energy development on 5.8% of land area (1). New federal legislation sets aside approximately $14 billion solely for 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages (2–5), which can support tribal climate responsiveness and energy sovereignty. This opportunity positions tribes and villages to develop their economies and reimagine energy projects on their terms, building beyond many decades of energy and economic poverty. To respond effectively to this opportunity, time frames must be aligned, access to information enhanced, and capacity built.