SPRING 2023

A view from above the Pueblo of Santa Ana community showing recently completed solar installation.

The GRID National Tribal Program recently completed a project at the Pueblo of Santa Ana in north-central New Mexico which was a TSAF funded Tribal Solar Facility and Residential grant. The project provided 35kW of solar PV on five tribal homes, saving the Pueblo of Santa Ana $132,250 over the lifetime of the systems.

This project was 1 of 17 total grants awarded in the 2022-2023 TSAF Tribal Solar Facility/Residential Grant program. Grantees have a one-year timeframe (August 2022 - July 2023) to complete their projects. The clean energy generation from TSAF funded solar projects continues to  provide a sustainable alternative to combat frontline climate change in Indian Country.

For more information on how the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund can support a renewable energy project in your tribal community, please visit us at www.tribalsolar.org.

TSAF Grant Programs

The 2023-2024 Tribal Solar Facility/Residential Grant application will be available at www.tribalsolar.org on March 31, 2023.

The TSAF Facility/Residential Grant is for federally-recognized tribes and tribal-led organizations who are seeking up to $200,000 for solar pv distributed energy systems on tribal residential homes or tribal facility structures.

TSAF will offer an informational webinar on Thursday April 6, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EST (10am PST, 11am MST, 12pm CST). Please register HERE.

TSAF Leadership Programs

Applications for the TSAF Summer Associates program will open on March 31, 2023 and close on May 1, 2023.

The Summer Associate is open to federally-recognized tribal members interested in a eight-week experiential learning program where participants will learn about renewable energy and how it benefits tribal communities. Summer Associates will be provided with a $5,000 stipend and spend the summer learning from and engaging with the TSAF program team who are creating access to renewable energy technologies for tribal communities.

Applications for the Tribal Energy Innovators Fellowship program will open on May 1, 2023 and close on June 15, 2023. 

The Tribal Energy Innovators fellowship is designated for federally recognized tribal members who are interested, invested, and engaged in work which supports renewable energy infrastructure and tribal energy capacity building within a tribal community, tribally focused programming, and/or tribal organization. The Tribal Energy Innovators Fellowship provides a modest fellowship stipend and industry resources to support the development of innovative ideas and the use of problem-solving processes that lead to sustainable renewable energy solutions.

TSAF will offer a TEI informational webinar on Wednesday May 10, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. EST (12pm PST, 1am MST, 2pm CST). Please register HERE.

For more information visit us at www.tribalsolar.org

GRID National Tribal Program 

GRID National Tribal Program Director - Talia Martin

We are excited to welcome Talia Martin to GRID Alternatives’ as the Director of Tribal Programs. She brings 12+ years of experience in tribal and federal governmental issues on environmental waste management and nuclear and renewable energy. Talia is an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho. Prior to joining GRID, she was the Tribal Department of Energy Director for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and performed as the liaison between the Tribes and the U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office. As a chemist and energy professional, she has served as a tribal representative on local and national nuclear energy and environmental monitoring committees, boards, and panels. She attended the University of Kansas and received a B.A. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. She also attended Haskell Indian Nations University and received an A.S. in Natural Resources. Her experience and education fueled her passion in promoting STEM-opportunities for tribal youth and integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into her work with GRID Alternatives and Tribal Nations. She resides on the Fort Hall Reservation and continues to be involved in the tribal community and serves on the Chief Tahgee Elementary Academy Board of Directors, Beyond 100kin10 Project Team, and the Department of Energy Idaho Clean Up Project Citizens Advisory Board. During her personal time, she enjoys podcasting, hunting, fishing and camping with her family and coaching youth basketball.

Recent Solar Installations

The Tribal Program finished two project installations in New Mexico; 35kW-DC rooftop solar PV systems on five residential homes in the Pueblo of Santa Ana, and on the Navajo Nation at the Ojo Encino Chapter installing 10 grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) generating systems, and refurbished 6 off-grid solar PV systems.  The Tribal Program provided workforce development for tribal trainees through a hands-on solar installation experience with targeted skill-building and job training for employment in the solar industry. The affordability of and access to reliable energy is at the heart of energy justice for many tribes. Funding for these projects came from the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF), All Points North Foundation, and the Ojo Encino Chapter. Their involvement was critical to the success of these projects and helped to create solar development and employment opportunities on tribal land.

The Ojo Encino Chapter and Pueblo of Santa Ana are utilizing local resources to produce emission free energy, electrify off-grid homes, and save residents money on energy bills. Maintaining and scaling up current solar projects will create a more sustainable environment and economy across Indian Country.

Upcoming Events

For more information and to register please visit NCAIED here

For more information and to register please visit ATNI here