Indian tribes have numerous involvements in renewable energy, from producing it to trying to preserve proposed land for such projects like those in Cape Cod. Many Indian tribes also suffer from unemployment upwards of double the national rate and poverty. In order to remedy this problem, many tribes are turning to renewable energy.
It has been estimated that Indian tribes may be capable of producing 535 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each and every year through the use of wind power. In addition, 17 trillion kilowatt hours every year is possible through solar energy. Such a solar energy total is four times the total electricity created each year in the United States. These estimates have been determined due to Indian tribes owning 55 million acres of land prime for renewable energy.
An Indian tribe that was recently told that they could not build a casino has now turned to renewable energy to sustain their tribe. The Jemez Pueblo tribe, located in New Mexico, is using $22 million in government grants, tax credits and loans to build a substantial solar field.
The 3,000-member tribe is hoping to bring in much needed revenue through selling energy created through the solar field. The proposed site is 30-acres and will have 14,850 solar panels. The energy created is expected to be able to power 600 homes. Overall, the tribe is hoping to bring in $25 million in revenue over twenty-five years.
James Roger Madalena, a member of the tribe and tribe representative in the state Legislature, stated: “We don’t have any revenue coming in except for a little convenience store. It’s very critical that we become innovative, creative, that we come up with something that will last generations without having a devastating impact on the environment.”
