U.S. Department of Energy to Announce Funding Opportunity for Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to release a $25 million Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) this spring to support clean energy technology deployment on Tribal lands. Awards from this planned FOA are anticipated to range from $100,000 to $2.5 million or from $250,000 to $5 million, depending on the Area of Interest. Applications will be due about 90 days after the FOA is issued.

“Our Office is excited for the Administration's continued investment to address energy costs and electricity access in American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” said Wahleah Johns, Director of the Office of Indian Energy. “This type of funding continues to be an important step in supporting clean energy transitions and energy sovereignty in Tribal communities across the country.” 

Through this planned FOA, the Office of Indian Energy intends to solicit applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations, to:

1. Install clean energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); or,
2. Deploy community-scale clean energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or, 
3. Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple Essential Tribal Building(s) during emergency situations or for Tribal community resilience; or,
4. Power unelectrified Tribal Buildings. 

Download the NOI for Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands – 2024 (DE-FOA-0003297).

In partnership with Native communities, the Office of Indian Energy will continue to build on its efforts to accelerate the deployment of energy infrastructure on Tribal lands through this planned FOA. In addition to the $75 million committed to Tribal energy projects selected in 2023, the DOE’s Office of Indian Energy has invested over $120 million in more than 210 Tribal energy projects across the contiguous 48 states and Alaska between 2010 and 2022. Please see the DOE Office of Indian Energy’s Tribal Energy Projects Database for a map and summaries of these competitively funded projects. 

Find more information about past funding opportunities and learn more on the DOE Office of Indian Energy website.