Bishop Paiute Tribe – 2017 Project

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

Summary

The Bishop Paiute Tribe Youth Solar Job Training Development project will provide opportunities for youth to become familiar with jobs in the solar industry. This will increase knowledge of basic skills required for employment in the solar industry, including eligibility requirements for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)  Solar Installer Exam, and will begin to develop a workforce capable of assisting the Tribe in future solar installations. The project will include workshop training, hands-on internships, and a full-time SolarCorps Construction Fellowship.

The Bishop Paiute Tribe is a federally recognized Tribe with about 2,000 members, governed by a Tribal Council of five tribal members. According to Bishop Paiute’s draft Strategic Energy Plan, the Tribe has a goal and commitment to train 100 tribal members in the skills and trade of renewable energy installation and to provide rooftop-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to 50% of low-income reservation homeowners by 2020. These commitments reflect the Tribe’s commitment to self-sufficiency and protection of the environment. Affordable energy, job training, and the ability to harness the sun’s energy will help build the blocks of economic and social self-sufficiency and sovereignty in the community.

Over the last few years, the Tribe has installed 84 solar electric systems, totaling over 281 kilowatts of clean renewable energy. The systems have been installed on residences on the Reservation, with another 34 systems completed under the 2016 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy funded project. During an Earth Day event held on April 22, 2017, the Tribe celebrated the completion of 56 residential solar PV installations totaling nearly 180 kW rated capacity, co-funded by Office of Indian Energy grants awarded in 2015 and 2016.

This project complements the Tribe’s prior accomplishments by allowing tribal job trainees to obtain skills and training related to solar installation and initiate the first steps toward developing and sustaining renewable energy on Bishop Paiute lands. In the draft Strategic Energy Plan, one of the three tribal values identified is economic development—specifically, renewable energy job opportunities. This project will meet the Tribe’s strategic goal timeline of finding support for renewable job training.

The proposed activity will build knowledge or skills necessary to implement the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Strategic Energy Plan geared toward training 100 tribal members. The goals of the Bishop Paiute Tribe Youth Solar Job Training Development Project are to provide opportunities for youth to become familiar with jobs in the solar industry, to increase knowledge of basic skills required for employment in the solar industry including eligibility requirements for the NABCEP Solar Installer Exam, and to begin development of a workforce capable of assisting the Tribe in future solar installation. The following objectives will lead to fulfillment of these goals.

1. Provide classroom workshops related to various jobs in the solar industry for youth ages 16–24.
2. Three classroom-trained youth volunteers will participate in a paid Solar Construction Internship assisting trained professionals with hands-on solar installations.
3. One youth will get hired for a 12-month SolarCorps Fellowship to support various aspects of PV installations.

The Tribe’s self-sufficiency, strategic plan, and environmental stewardship will be advanced through the job training program. Prior to this project, this caliber of detailed job training opportunity related to the solar industry has not been provided on the Reservation; no learn-and-earn opportunity like this has been offered to the Tribal youth. The Bishop Paiute Tribe will recruit participants and will provide a stipend for individuals who complete the program. This proposed program is for individuals serious about getting a job in the solar industry. Phase One of the project involves tribal youth interns participating in a series of six workshops on the Reservation. During Phase Two of the project, three paid interns from Phase One will work for three months on installing solar PV on income-qualified family homes. In the final Phase Three, a motivated intern will be offered a 12-month full-time Construction Fellowship.  

The project activities will build knowledge and skills necessary to implement the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Strategic Energy Plan geared toward training 100 tribal members. This project will contribute to a future workforce of solar professionals who will further meet the advanced goals of the Tribal Energy Plan.

The Bishop Paiute Tribe, located in Inyo County, California, on an 875-acre reservation, was established in 1936, and has a population of 1,796. According to the 2009 tribal census, of some 523 households on the Reservation, about 91% were Native American that year.

This project is complete. For additional details, see the final report. 

The project was competitively selected under the Office of Indian Energy Fiscal Year 2016 funding opportunity announcement “First Steps Toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands – 2016” (DE-FOA-0001621) and started in September 2020.

The November 2017, December 2018, and November 2019 project status report provides more information.