Learn About Innovative Tribal Energy Projects at the 2017 Program Review

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy is hosting its annual Program Review Nov. 13–17, 2017, at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel in Denver, CO. Featuring a number of presentations and opportunities for information exchange, the event convenes Indian tribes to network, learn from other tribes that are pursuing energy development, and share in each other’s successes.

As energy sufficiency is a priority throughout Indian Country and rural Alaska, this unique forum is open to all Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and others with an interest in energy development on tribal lands.

The Program Review will feature project status updates from Indian tribes across the nation who are leveraging Office of Indian Energy grant funding to deploy energy efficiency and energy generation technologies or initiate the first steps toward energy development. Highlights include presentations from these Indian tribes:

• Bishop Paiute Tribe: Brian Adkins, Environmental Management Office Director for the Bishop Paiute Tribe, and Lisa Castilone, Outreach Coordinator & Tribal Manager for GRID Alternatives Inland Empire, will give an update on the Tribe's residential solar program and youth solar job training development project, funded by Office of Indian Energy grants in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The Tribe celebrated the completion of 56 residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations totaling nearly 180 kilowatt rated capacity at their Earth Day event this year, as highlighted in this blog. And the new youth solar job training development project will provide opportunities for young adults to become familiar with solar industry jobs and required skills—helping the Tribe to begin to develop a workforce capable of assisting with future solar installations.
• Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments: James Kelly, Natural Resources Director for the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments, and Frannie Hughes, Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation Chief Operating Officer (both pictured above), will give an update on Fort Yukon’s wood energy program and wood boiler deployment, which provides heat to school buildings, a radio station, water plant, and other sites across Fort Yukon, AK. The project received a $1.2 million DOE grant for purchasing and installing wood boilers and a $150,000 grant for a precursor feasibility study, as highlighted in this blog.
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation: Patrick Mills, project manager with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Department of Natural Resources, will talk about the Tribe’s steps toward energy independence and resiliency goals. The Tribe received a $133,706 grant from the Office of Indian Energy to install LED lighting and 97 kilowatts of solar PV supplying power for three buildings.

Attendees will also hear from multiple tribal entities developing an Inter-tribal Technical Assistance Energy Providers Network—a DOE-funded effort to bring together regional energy experts to provide technical assistance and informational resources to tribal members, including Alaska Native villages.

For more information on the event schedule, please see the draft agenda.

A block of rooms is available at a discounted rate of $180 a night at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel. The deadline for reservations at the group rate has been extended to Nov. 6, 2017—so make your travel plans soon.

To book your room, please visit the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel website.

There is no registration fee, but advanced registration is required to ensure seating and availability of food. Online registration will be available through Thursday, November 2; after that date, on-site registration will be available each morning of the event.

To register for this year’s event, visit the Program Review event page.

To learn more about the format and content of the event, view presentations from past Program Review meetings.