U.S. Department of Energy Looks to Support Tribal Energy Generation in Transition to Clean Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is requesting proposals with the intent to buy renewable energy credits (RECs) from Tribes. This DOE effort is being led by the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), which opened a solicitation for 7,000 MWh of carbon pollution-free generated RECs, and DOE’s national labs, specifically the Office of Science and Berkeley Site Office.

This solicitation includes the Indian Energy Purchase Preference (IEPP), a provision passed by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (codified at 25 USC 3502(d)), which allows federal agencies to give preference to a Tribal majority-owned business organization when purchasing electricity, energy products, or energy byproducts, provided the offer is competitive with the prevailing market price and terms and conditions. This solicitation follows a similar announcement by the U.S. General Services Administration last month.

“WAPA is proud to be paving the way for meaningful collaboration with Tribes as they gear up to play a significant part in our national transition to clean energy,” said Tracey LeBeau, Administrator and CEO of WAPA. “Doing business with Tribes boosts reservation-based economic sustainability in addition to the surrounding communities. We are hopeful this will be a win-win-win for DOE, WAPA, and Tribes.” 

Since 2022, the Biden-Harris administration’s White House Council on Native American Affairs has been coordinating across agencies to implement the IEPP and boost Tribal energy production—part of the effort to run the government on 100% clean power by 2030. In 2023, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm reaffirmed DOE’s commitment to supporting Tribal energy development, with an emphasis on using the whole authority of the IEPP, including buying RECs.

Tribal-majority owned business organizations (as described in the solicitation) that generate renewable energy and corresponding RECs, or serve as a REC aggregator, are eligible to be awarded the preference (IEPP). WAPA’s solicitation differs from GSA’s recent solicitation in that RECs can be generated from sources that were commissioned prior to Oct. 1, 2021. 

Key information about the solicitation:

• Read the full solicitation. 
• The solicitation is open until June 14, 2024, 4:30 p.m. PT.
• Solicitation responses must be submitted via email to Sharol Lynch at [email protected] prior to the solicitation closing on June 14, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. PT.
• All questions must be submitted via email to Sandee Peebles at WAPA: [email protected].

For information about selling power to federal entities under the IEPP policy, visit the Office of Indian Energy’s page. 

For Tribes and Tribal business organizations requesting assistance in doing business with the federal government, contact the Native American APEX Accelerator—a government contracting resource for small businesses that provides free expertise related to contract opportunities.