The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Geothermal (OG) engages with Tribes, Tribal entities, and Native and Indigenous communities to better understand the needs and concerns of Native populations regarding geothermal energy development, and to further opportunities for collaboration. In addition, OG-funded initiatives are working with Tribal, Indigenous, and Native entities to identify opportunities that support energy sovereignty that includes geothermal energy solutions.
OG-funded Work with Tribal and Native Entities
District-Scale Geothermal Energy Pilots: OG is helping community coalitions to design community-scale geothermal heating and cooling systems nationwide. Tribal entities supported under this initiative include nonprofit tribal consortium Kawerak, Inc., which helps expand opportunities for the Inupiaq, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, and Yup'ik people of Alaska, and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma.
Geothermal Collegiate Competition (GCC): In OG’s annual collegiate student competition, teams are challenged to design geothermal systems or assess policies and economics for such systems in a community of their choice—often including Tribal and Native communities. Winning teams in the Fall 2023 GCC tracks worked with the Native Village of Elim in Alaska and the Osage Nation in Oklahoma to explore opportunities for geothermal. In 2022, the winning GCC teams also worked with Tribes, designing geothermal systems for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation in North Dakota and within the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and Potawatomi Nation jurisdiction in Oklahoma.
Geothermal Interagency Collaboration Permitting Task Force: OG supported the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) to convene federal and state regulators, industry, non-governmental organizations, and Tribes to discuss challenges and opportunities related to geothermal regulatory approvals and permitting. This work included Tribal listening sessions coordinated in consultation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the DOE Office of Indian Energy where Tribal participants shared their perspectives on geothermal energy, including concerns and potential pathways to increase deployment.
Makushin Geothermal Project/Qawalangin Tribe in Alaska: Using congressionally directed spending secured by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, OG is working with the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska, Alaska, at the Makushin Geothermal Project. In cooperation with community partners and geothermal power partners, the Qawalangin Tribe will plan, develop, and implement a comprehensive Workforce Development Plan to steer future hiring, training, and retention for displaced and disadvantaged communities, including tribal members. The Tribe will also plan, develop, and implement a Community Education Outreach Program in Unalaska to provide community information and promote geothermal STEM awareness for youth.
State-Level Community Engagement: With OG support, NLR identified and engaged with Alaskan regions with potential for geothermal development, including the Tanana Chiefs Conference, which is the traditional Tribal consortium of the 42 villages of Interior Alaska. Through this work, OG and NLR developed meaningful relationships with Alaskan communities, gained a better understanding of the needs of diverse and remote regions in the state, and developed educational tools to help support those communities. OG and NLR are conducting similar efforts in Hawai’i, including collaboration with Native Hawaiians, and assessing additional states for community engagement.
Other Initiatives: OG has and will continue to support additional work with Tribal, Indigenous, and Native communities across its research portfolio. Other projects featuring such engagement include OG’s Play Fairway Analysis projects and earlier research to evaluate the geothermal resource potential within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in Nevada.
DOE Geothermal Funding Opportunities for Tribal and Native Entities
DOE’s Office of Indian Energy (IE) has announced a $50 million notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) aimed at fostering affordable, reliable, and secure energy solutions in Indian Country. This investment will support Tribal-led community-scale energy project planning and development and large-scale energy project planning. IE is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native regional corporations and Village corporations, Tribal and intertribal organizations, Tribal Energy Development Organizations, and Tribal Colleges and Universities—or any consortium of these eligible groups—in three Topic Areas. Applications to any of the three topic areas could include geothermal, and are due July 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET.