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July 2025
2025 Tribal Sustainability Summit to be Held at Mystic Lake
August 26–27, 2025 | Shakopee Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
Tribal Energy Alternatives is proud to announce the upcoming 2025 Tribal Sustainability Summit, an exclusive event taking place August 26–27, 2025, at the Shakopee Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Minnesota, home of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. The two-day summit will bring together a powerful network of Indigenous leaders, energy innovators, and emerging professionals committed to a clean energy future for Native communities.
This special gathering is invitation-only, open to 2024–2025 TSAF grant recipients, Workforce Development trainees, and Education awardees. Designed as a forum to celebrate progress, share best practices, and spark new collaborations, the summit represents a key milestone in advancing Indigenous-led climate and energy solutions.
Sponsorship Opportunities Available
TEA welcomes support from mission-aligned organizations and businesses interested in sponsoring the event. Sponsors will have the opportunity to connect with Native changemakers and support a thriving ecosystem of tribal energy innovation.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Shayna Gutierrez at sgutierrez@gridalternatives.org.
Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare for an inspiring and action-driven summit centered on community, resilience, and Indigenous-led energy futures.
TEA Grant Programs
TEA Workforce and Education Programs
TEA Construction Program
Tribal Energy Alternatives Brings Solar Power to Colville and Pine Ridge
The Tribal Energy Alternatives (TEA) Construction Team has successfully completed two major solar projects at the Colville reservation in Washington state and the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, delivering clean energy, local job training, and long-term financial savings to these communities.
In Colville, TEA installed 92.4kW-DC of solar capacity across 13 residential systems, all serving low-income households. The system includes 231 solar panels, expected to generate approximately 113,558 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year. That translates to an estimated $7,500 in annual utility bill savings for community members.
As part of TEA’s commitment to workforce development, 3 local trainees participated in the installation process, gaining valuable skills in solar energy construction.
At Pine Ridge, the TEA team installed 215kW-DC of solar across 26 systems, including 25 veteran and low-income homes, and one community maintenance building. With 559 panels now operational, these systems are projected to produce around 286,240 kWh annually, resulting in an estimated $22,900 in yearly energy savings.
The project also helped build local capacity, with 5 local trainees gaining hands-on experience in renewable energy installation.
TEA Federal Programs
The Western Indigenous Network’s Solar for All pilot project phase is currently underway, with Phase 1 previously ending on June 30, 2025 and Phase 2 launched July 1, 2025 with a rolling application period. We are continuing to seek tribal project applications in our target states, as outlined in the Western Indigenous Network workplan. The application, templates, and Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found on our website at www.tribalalternatives.org
While Phase 1 has produced a steady pipeline of projects, additional applications are encouraged for Phase 2. Tribal Energy Alternatives will remain active in outreach and engagement efforts to support awareness across our target states.
TEA Policy and Advocacy Program
Photo by Qwiy Cawston, Policy Specialist, June 2025, Bend Oregon – Coalition of Large Tribes Meeting
Q2 Spotlight
- Federal Update: TEA Signed onto Tribal Advocacy Letter in Response to GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill and Phase Out of Investment Tax Credits
- Hired Tribal Policy Specialist Qwiy Cawston (ShoBan/Colville)
- Ongoing Monitoring of Idaho Public Utility Commission - Docket IPC-E-25-15 - Idaho Power Export Credit Rate for non-legacy on-site generation customers
- Attendance of 2025 Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) Meeting – Bend, Oregon
- Minnesota Public Utility Commission (MNPUC) Comment Submissions in Support of Tribal Consultation in the Matter of a Complaint Filed by Upper Sioux Indian Community
- Nevada Policy Wins: TEA Signed onto Letter in Support of Appropriation to Nevada Clean Energy Fund SB132
- Policy Director Spoke at the Tribal Energy Evolution Summit (TEES) hosted by ATCE on Tribal-State Policy Relations in the State of Minnesota
For more updates and information about TEA Policy News click on the button below to visit our website blog.
TEA California Program
CA State Energy Incentive Opportunities for Tribes
Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) Energy Storage Incentives for Low Income Homes – Open California Public Utilities Commission • Incentives for installing energy storage and paired solar tech • $1,100/kilowatt-hour for storage • $3,100/kilowatt for solar • Utilities: LADWP, PG&E, SDG&E, SCE, and SoCalGas
Fast Charge California Project 1 – Opens August 5 for First-Come, First-Served Center for Sustainable Energy • Incentives to install high-power DC fast chargers at publicly accessible sites • Up to 100% of project costs covered • Max $100,000 per charging port
Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles (EnergIIZE) Transit Set-Aside Funding – October 2 California Energy Commission and CALSTART • Up to $5 million per project • Charger port/hydrogen dispenser incentives • CA Tribes, CA Tribal Organizations, and NGOs Serving Tribal entities eligible
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