NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.
Summary
Project Overview
Tribe/Awardee
Northern Cheyenne Tribe
Location
Lame Deer, MT
Project Title
White River Community Solar on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation
Type of Application
Deployment
DOE Grant Number
DE-IE0000122
Project Amounts
DOE: $3,258,514
Awardee: $814,629
Total: $4,073,143
Project Status
See project status
Project Period of Performance
Start: 10/1/2019
End: 3/31/2022
Under the White River Community Solar Project, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe (NCT) will install a total of 1.25 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV), consisting of 15 residential systems at approximately 10-kilowatts (kW) each for a total of 150 kW, another 150 kW on three tribal facilities, and 950 kW to be sold through a power purchase agreement (PPA).
The project will generate approximately 2,236 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, saving more than $1.8 million over the system lives; reduce 80% of the electricity usage in critical community buildings; substantially reduce the Tribe's carbon footprint; and create 20 short-term jobs.
Project Description
Background
Primarily descendants of those who survived the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, with the White River Cheyenne returning from South Dakota in the 1890s, the NCT currently has more than 11,000 enrolled tribal members. Of those, 5,000 live on the 440,000-acre Northern Cheyenne Reservation in remote southeast Montana. The Tribe is challenged with persistent poverty and economic hardship, with many members struggling to pay bills and some unable to stay in their homes due to the high cost of heat during harsh winters.
Studies were conducted from 2002 to 2007 in pursuit of a 30-MW wind farm; a 97-kW solar PV array has been installed on the Tribal Administration Building, and more than 100 kW of additional solar arrays are installed at residences and community facilities.
In 2016, the NCT prioritized pursuing sustainable energy development as an important opportunity to build revenues to fund Reservation-wide weatherization and energy assistance as well as workforce training programs. Building on a long history of environmental protection, interest in clean energy sources, and efforts to preserve the Cheyenne traditional way of life, the NCT has launched a sustainable energy development initiative to promote a resilient and diversified new "green energy" economy.
In 2017, the Tribe began to critically evaluate areas for conservation, energy efficiency improvements, and the use of on-site and community renewable energy resources on tribal lands. The Tribe created a full-time Renewable Energy Manager staff position and the Sustainable Energy Committee—a subcommittee of the Tribal Council dedicated to evaluating and pursuing renewable energy development.
These evaluation efforts have included consultations with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Western Area Power Administration, Basin Electric, local utilities, and numerous other stakeholders, and ultimately led to the current White River Community Solar Project.
In March 2018 the NCT Council prioritized the commercial development of solar energy as a key goal building block for a sustainable energy future. Solar measures move the Tribe toward its commitment to a future of sustainable energy industries that promote the long-term viability of its economy.
Project Objectives
The project is expected to generate an estimated 2,236 MWh of electricity per year, yielding about $55,000 in combined annual energy net income each year for the 35-year system life. The energy production will reduce reliance on coal-powered electricity and bolster the Tribe’s facilities’ budgets to accommodate more comprehensive upkeep programs and possible additions, further remodeling, and expanded services offered by other tribal programs.
The project is anticipated to create 20 short-term construction-related jobs for installation of the solar arrays, including indirect jobs and one full-time, long-term operations and maintenance job, with 15 to 30 tribal members expected to receive training on solar PV system design, installation, operation, and maintenance.
The Tribe's documentation and verification of savings will confirm the project is highly replicable for other communities and buildings on the Reservation and beyond, and will serve as a strong demonstration of the Tribe's environmental stewardship. A major step toward the Tribe's energy independence, this project will help the Tribe ensure its own energy use is sustainable and efficient.
Project Scope
To develop the White River Community Solar Project, the NCT will install a total of 1.25 MW of solar PV, consisting of 15 residential systems at approximately 10 kW each for a total of 150 kW, another 150 kW on three tribal facilities, and 950 kW to be sold through a PPA. Planning and construction work will occur over an estimated 18-month period, and verification of energy production, savings, and income will be conducted for a minimum of 12 months after the solar arrays begin operation.
The White River Community Solar Project, sited on approximately nine acres of tribal land and serving critical community facilities in Busby, Montana, is a key step toward the Tribe's long-term vision of a renewable energy future. The project will install approximately 950 kW of solar PV on undeveloped land near a 3.75-megavolt amp (MVA) substation on the outskirts of Busby; approximately 150 kW of solar PV to provide behind-the-meter solar electricity to the K-12 Northern Cheyenne Tribal School, the Head Start Little Eagle childhood education center, and the Busby District's main water pumphouse; and 150 kW solar PV to provide solar electricity to 15 tribal elders' homes.
This project is expected to reduce approximately 80% of the electricity usage in the three critical community buildings, resulting in combined energy offsets and revenues estimated to exceed $55,000 annually and $1.8 million over the 35-year system life. As a significant step to advance renewable energy development and energy efficiency upgrades on the Reservation, this project moves the Tribe toward its commitment to a future of sustainable energy industries that will promote the long-term viability of its economy, as set forth in a Tribal Council Resolution.
Project Location
The proposed White River Community Solar generation project is sited and sized primarily to serve local electric loads on the Tongue River Electric Cooperative substation in Busby. The substation includes a 3.75- MVA transformer. The 950-kW solar PV system is planned on the Tribal Reserve properties totaling about nine acres contiguous to the Busby substation, which are mostly flat, unshaded, and free of any currently known sensitive site factors. The commercial and residential solar PV systems will be located on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
Project Status
The project was competitively selected under the DOE Office of Indian Energy's Fiscal Year 2019 funding opportunity announcement "Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands - 2019" (DE-FOA-0002032) and started in October 2019.
The project status reports provide more information.