Fort Mojave Indian Tribe – 2019 Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Summary

Aha Macav Power Service (AMPS), as authorized by the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (FMIT), will install a solar photovoltaic (PV) array that will deliver 2.3 megawatts (MW) of sustainable power, supplying 10% of the total power for AMPS’ 1,000 customers. The project will help the Tribe move toward energy independence and save several million dollars over the project life.

This solar generation facility on tribal land will make it possible for AMPS to provide sustainable, stable power for tribal use at a reasonable and predictable cost. This project will move FMIT closer to being energy independent, establish a basis for future solar array projects on tribal lands, and provide the Tribe control over their own energy future. In addition, this project will move the Tribe to a renewable energy option that could be expanded over time by adding arrays.

Mojave Indians are Pipa Aha Macav—“The People by the River.” The Fort Mojave Indian Reservation covers 22,820 acres in parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada along the Colorado River. The Tribe’s headquarters are in Needles, California. AMPS is an electric utility wholly owned and operated by FMIT. The Tribe also co-owns the Fort Mojave Tribal Utility Authority (FMTUA), a separate entity from AMPS that provides telephone, water, and wastewater service to the Reservation.

FMIT is one of only a handful of Tribes in the United States that have established a tribally owned and operated electric and natural gas utility. AMPS was incorporated under a Tribal Charter authorized by the Fort Mojave Tribal Council in July 1991. Starting from one installed electrical meter in 1991, the company has grown to approximately 1,000 meters.

AMPS provides electric power service to homes and businesses located within the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. Additionally, AMPS provides natural gas to the Avi Resort and Casino and the Mojave Crossing Events Center. AMPS has transmission interconnections with Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Southwest Transmission Cooperative Inc., and UniSource Energy Services. AMPS has a staff of highly trained line workers who install, operate, and maintain AMPS transmission and distribution lines. These line workers are critical for maintaining a high level of reliability and are on call 24 hours a day 365 days per year.

In May 2008, AMPS completed the engineering, procurement, construction, and energization of a new interconnection with the City of Needles. This project enhances the reliability of transmission service to the City of Needles and was made possible through a unique and successful partnership between the federal government, WAPA, the City of Needles, FMIT, and AMPS.

This 2.3-MW PV project for use by FMIT, its facilities, and its residents is a first step in a phased approach toward energy independence. The solar arrays will be built on tribal lands adjacent to an AMPS transmission facility and will be a critical first step in providing sustainable, stable, cost-effective electricity to the Tribe. This project will put control of vital energy resources into the hands of the Tribe’s chartered power utility, AMPS, and make the Tribe and its members less vulnerable to volatile energy spot markets. It will also provide them with an energy solution that is environmentally sound and scalable to meet their energy needs.

AMPS provides electrical power service to homes and businesses located within the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. The purpose of this 2.3-MW solar PV system is to provide tribal homes and businesses with reliable, lower-cost power and reduced the dependence on outside power providers. AMPS intends for this solar PV facility to provide 10% of the power they provide to the Tribe and tribal facilities as a first step in a phased approach to achieve energy independence and a move toward sustainable, stable, environmentally conscious energy sources.

One of the primary reasons AMPS is pursuing this renewable energy option is to provide the energy needed to support economic growth and development of the Tribe. According to a case study conducted by the WAPA Renewable Resources Program and updated September 2010, AMPS and the Tribal Council have observed several advantages related to operating the utility service. The foremost consideration is that the Tribe is realizing direct economic savings as a result of AMPS providing less costly power than alternative sources.

In addition, AMPS has committed to employing 10% tribal personnel for the project construction, installation, and maintenance. AMPS provides access to apprentice programs that provide training for participants that will enable them to become journeyman linemen after 4 years of on-the-job training concurrent with 4 years of self-study. After completing the 4 years and passing 41 exams, participants are eligible for lineman jobs with any type of electric utility.

Moving the Tribe from reliance on conventional sources of power to solar technology will take advantage of the high solar index in Arizona and decrease the Tribe’s vulnerability to fluctuations in the price of power on the spot market while moving the Tribe to energy and environmental leadership. AMPS expects this project to be the first phase in a multiphase approach to increasing the Tribe’s use of green options for energy.

The goals and objectives of the project align with longer-term plans of FMIT and AMPS, which include:

• Providing power to allow the Tribe to increase economic development
• Ensuring a stable source of energy for the Tribe, its households, and its businesses
• Providing cost stability for tribal customers
• Increasing utilization of sustainable energy sources
• Advancing a phased approach toward energy independence for the Tribe
• Protecting AMPS tribal customers from uncertainties in hydroelectric energy production.

AMPS, owned by FMIT, will construct four PV solar arrays to deliver 2.3 MW to tribal homes and facilities, which is approximately 10% of the Tribe’s energy needs. The solar arrays will be located on approximately six acres of land within the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, Mohave Valley, Arizona. The project consists of finalizing plans and designs, preparing the site, permitting, installing equipment, inspections, testing, running, and monitoring the solar arrays.

This project will employ tribal personnel in 20–25 short term positions and 6–8 temporary positions with training. Additionally, 2–5 tribal participants will enter into apprentice programs, which will provide training that will enable them to become journeyman linemen after 4 years of on-the-job training concurrent with 4 years of self-study. After completing the 4 years and passing 41 exams, they are eligible for lineman jobs with any type of electric utility.

The Fort Mojave Indian Reservation is located along the Colorado River in the vicinity of Needles, California. The Reservation covers nearly 42,000 acres in the tri-state area of Arizona, California, and Nevada. The land is divided into three major segments: 23,669 acres in Mojave County, Arizona; 12,633 acres adjacent to Needles, California; and 5,582 acres in Clark County, Nevada. Tribal headquarters are located in Needles, California. The solar array will be located adjacent to the existing AMPS Noname Substation at the southeast corner of the intersection of Indian Route 1 (Mountain View Road) and Indian Route 4 (Reservation Road).

The project is complete. For details, see the final report and project status reports.

The project was competitively selected under the Office of Indian Energy's Fiscal Year 2019 funding opportunity announcement "Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2019" (DE-FOA-0002032) and started in September 2019.