DOE announced $38 million in funding for 13 projects aimed at advancing clean energy technology deployment in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
September 28, 2023
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“American Indian and Alaska Native communities are disproportionally affected by climate change, facing high and ever-increasing energy costs and unreliable or nonexistent energy sources,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects selected today will help Tribes build resiliency and stabilize energy costs, while contributing to the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader goal of a net-zero economy by 2050.”
These remarks by Secretary Granholm rolled out DOE's announcement today of $38 million in funding for 13 projects aimed at advancing clean energy technology deployment in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, Funds included the following projects:
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Anchorage, AK): The project will build a community-scale energy generating system with wind turbines on Tribal Lands in Goodnews Bay, Alaska. It will convert the microgrid power system to a three-phase system and add two 100-kilowatt (kW) wind turbines and a 289-kWh lithium-ion battery. The project is expected to result in $3.8 million in total savings from reduced diesel fuel use over 20 years. (Requested DOE Funds: $4,989,363)
Chitina Electric, Inc. (Chitina, AK): This project will replace the utility’s diesel generators with a 250-kW hydroelectric system, which will meet community energy needs year-round while reducing diesel fuel consumption by over 90% and providing excess electricity for heat. Based on anticipated diesel prices over the next 50 years, the utility and community is expected to save about $8.15 million in reduced fuel costs that will result in lower electricity prices of approximately 10%. (Requested DOE Funds: $2,212,131)
Metlakatla Indian Community (Metlakatla, AK): The community and its utility, Metlakatla Power and Light, will install a 1.5-MW direct drive wind turbine on Annette Islands Reserve, producing approximately 4.15 million kWh of electricity per year. Energy from this installation will replace diesel generation currently used to provide energy to 245 Tribal facilities and approximately 707 residential consumers, for an estimated savings of $910,000 annually. Excess generation will be sold, potentially creating an additional $85,000 of annual revenue. (Requested DOE Funds: $4,519,359)
Northwest Arctic Borough (Kotzebue, AK): The project will integrate234-kW of solar PV and 384-kWh of battery storage into the existing diesel system to serve the entire community of Ambler, Alaska. It is estimated that the integrated system will result in 828 hours of “diesels-off” operation each year, reducing fuel consumption by more than 20,680 gallons and saving the community more than $176,000 annually and $4.4 million over the 25-year project life. (Requested DOE Funds: $2,700,000)
Congratulations again to all the winners, the four awardees in Alaska as well as the nine awardees in the lower 48. Specifically, these cost-shared projects, valued at nearly $55 million, are estimated to result in more than 9.6 megawatts of new clean energy generation and over 2,600 megawatt-hours of battery storage, affect over 1,300 Tribal buildings, and save Tribal communities more than $125 million over the life of the systems. This investment will yield tangible benefits year after year to improve the quality of life for underserved communities.