Tribal Energy Alternatives awards $3.6 Million to 26 Tribes through the TSAF Grant Program

DENVER – Tribal Energy Alternatives (TEA) proudly announces the award of $3.6 million in grants through its Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) program, supporting 26 Tribal Nations and organizations across the United States. The funding will advance clean energy development, build local capacity, and strengthen Tribal sovereignty through sustainable energy solutions.

The TSAF Grant Program supports Tribal communities at every stage of their clean energy journey, from planning and training to implementation. The 2025 grant cycle includes awards across four categories to the following tribal organizations:

• Facility Residential Grants: Supporting solar installations for Tribal homes and community buildings to reduce energy costs and expand renewable energy access:

o Cahuilla Band of Indians

o Colusa Indian Community Council

o Ho-Chunk Nation

o La Posta Band of Mission Indians

o Menominee Indian Tribe of WI

o Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians

o Nez Perce Tribe

o Oglala Lakota Housing Authority

o Pueblo of Santa Ana/Tamaya Wellness Center

o Quapaw Nation

o SIHA Spokane Tribe Food Sovereignty Solar Project

o Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)

• Capacity Building Grants: Investing in Tribal workforce training, technical assistance, and organizational development to enhance self-determination in energy management:

o Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

o Blackfeet Community College

o Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation

o Pueblo of Picuris

o Rappahannock

o Red Cloud Renewable

o Red Lake Department of Natural Resources

o Robinson Rancheria Citizen’s Business Council

o Rosebud Sioux Tribe/RESCO

o Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority

• Gap Fund Grants: Bridging funding shortfalls for shovel-ready projects and enabling tribes to leverage additional state, federal, or private funding:

o Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

o Pinoleville Pomo Nation

• Energy Planning Grants: Empowering tribes to create comprehensive energy plans that align renewable energy development with community priorities and cultural values:

o Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians

o Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

“These grants reflect our ongoing commitment to helping Tribal Nations define their own clean energy futures,” said Darrell Hill, TSAF Grant Program Officer. “Each project we support strengthens community resilience, economic opportunity, and Tribal sovereignty through renewable energy.”

Since its inception, the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund has provided more than $19 million in direct grant funding to Tribal-led projects, helping to build a cleaner, more equitable energy future. The 2025 TSAF recipients represent a wide range of communities, from small, remote villages to large Tribal enterprises, all leading the way in Indigenous energy innovation.

“The TSAF funding was instrumental in moving us closer to our energy sovereignty goals at the Community Development & Utilities Dept for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (MITW) – ensuring that as we grow economically, we do so sustainably”, said Netasha Chevalier, Director of Community Development, MITW. “We were able to assist the Menominee Agriculture Dept on the expansion of the Community Kitchen project by putting up a 70KW solar array.”

For a full list of 2025 TSAF grantees and project descriptions, visit www.tribalalternatives.org/news

About Tribal Energy Alternatives

Tribal Energy Alternatives is the first Indigenous-led affiliate of GRID Alternatives. We partner with Tribal Nations to build energy sovereignty through grantmaking, workforce training, construction, and policy work. Rooted in Indigenous values and led by Native professionals, we are creating opportunities for communities to lead the clean energy revolution on their terms.

About GRID Alternatives

GRID Alternatives is an international, U.S.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that builds community powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. GRID works in the U.S., Mexico, Nepal, and Nicaragua and has installed solar photovoltaic systems on more than 29,500 homes and affordable housing developments in underserved communities while providing more than 33,200 individuals with workforce development training. GRID also provides clean mobility solutions and battery storage and is a leading voice in low-income solar policy development in the U.S. Installation Basics Training (IBT), a competency-based certificate program designed to develop the skills most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs and related construction employment fields. Trainees learn solar installation skills, OSHA 10 safety standards, first aid and CPR, and soft skills, including interpersonal communication and dependability, to help job trainees obtain and sustain employment.

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