The green transition has been one of the pillars of the Biden Administration, especially after the pandemic. However, as you may recall, we addressed just a few days ago that we are running out of room for solar panels and wind turbines. The solution? Put renewable energy in a tribe.
Biden is willing to fund this project with almost 400 million: the place, the tribe, and the energy, renewable
The Biden administration recently announced $366 million in funding for clean energy projects in tribal and rural communities across the United States. This is part of President Biden’s more comprehensive plan to spur clean energy development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The money will come from the Department of Energy through the Inflation Reduction Act, which Biden signed into law last year. Specifically, the funding will support deploying technologies like solar, geothermal, and advanced nuclear power in disadvantaged communities.
It aims to lower energy costs and increase energy security for those areas while creating jobs and supporting Biden’s goal of a carbon-free power sector by 2035. The administration touts it as an equity initiative, ensuring underserved groups benefit from the broader energy transition.
Criticism is mounting: perhaps it is not the best place in America to do so
Many critics view Biden’s plan as a foolish waste of taxpayer money that funnels funds to places that don’t actually need the help. They argue that rural communities and tribes are already doing fine in terms of access to energy and infrastructure upgrades.
Providing hundreds of millions to improve clean energy doesn’t make much sense when these areas are not lacking in their current energy sources. Some claim the tribes being targeted don’t actually want or need the forced clean energy installations and innovations.
Their communities are self-sufficient and content with their current systems. This comes across as the federal government stepping in without a full understanding of the on-the-ground realities and trying to push its own agenda.
There are also concerns that the money will be poorly managed or misused, as has apparently happened in the past with some government-funded tribal projects. Without proper oversight and accountability, the millions could end up providing little public benefit.
Renewable energy in tribes makes sense: a growing silent need
Native American tribal lands have long faced energy challenges that make accessing and affording electricity difficult. According to the Department of Energy, about 14% of Native American households lack access to electricity, more than ten times the national average. This impacts nearly half a million people living on tribal lands.
High energy costs are another major issue. The remote locations of many reservations mean that energy has to be transmitted over long distances at considerable cost. The average annual energy expenditure for Native American households is around $1,300, almost 30% higher than the U.S. average.
Diesel generators are commonly relied upon in remote communities, but the fuel is expensive to transport and results in poor air quality. Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal could provide tribes with locally-generated, low-cost clean power.
Doing so requires significant upfront infrastructure investments that tribes struggle to fund independently. The recent influx of $366 million from the Biden administration aims to begin addressing these needs and inequities.
It is clear that implementing renewable energy in a tribe is a somewhat strange idea. In fact, we have no evidence that it has been done anywhere else on the planet – after all, they are spaces as protected as our reserves. A proposal like this raises as much optimism as it does controversy and indignation. Again, the two sides of the coin.