Summary

Similar to the other five tribes in Lake County participating in this project, Robinson Rancheria members are challenged by increasing energy costs and undeveloped local energy resources. None of the tribes currently have energy programs but are aware of the need to address this issue. Currently, tribal decision makers lack sufficient information to make informed decisions about potential renewable energy resources and other energy management issues. To meet this challenge efficiently, the tribes have committed to the Lake County Tribal Energy Program, a multitribal program to be directed by the Robinson Rancheria and include the Big Valley Rancheria, Middletown Rancheria, Elem Indian Colony, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake (Upper Lake Rancheria) and Scotts Valley Pomo Tribe.

Project Description

The mission of this project is to promote tribal energy efficiency and create employment and economic opportunities on tribal lands through energy resource and energy efficiency development. The project will provide for a Lake County Tribal Energy Program coordinator and circuit rider based at the Robinson Rancheria environmental office. This program will provide energy planning that will work to capture economic and environmental benefits while continuing to respect tribal cultural practices and traditions. The goal is to understand current and future energy consumption and develop both regional and tribe specific strategic energy plans, including action plans, to identify the energy options available to each tribe.

Objective

The goal of this project is to understand current and future energy consumption and develop both regional and tribe-specific strategic energy plans, including action plans, to clearly identify the energy options available to each tribe. At this time none of the tribes have energy cost or development data available to tribal decision makers. In addition, several of the tribes, including the Robinson and Big Valley Rancherias have recognized this issue and the respective tribal councils have recently directed the tribes' environmental departments to address this problem.

The objectives of the program are to:

  • Develop strategic energy plans for each of the participating tribes
  • Initiate human capacity building with a project coordinator based at Robinson Rancheria
  • Compile regional data from the tribal strategic plans for use by tribal and local governments.

Strategic energy planning will result in a comprehensive energy plan that addresses the three basic questions faced by tribal decision makers: (1) "Where are you?" (a baseline assessment), (2) "Where do you want to go?" (a vision), and (3) "How are you going to get there?" (an action plan).

Scope

To answer the three basic questions noted above, each strategic energy plan will include:

  • A vision statement
  • A description of the options and projects that appear to be technically and tribally viable
  • A discussion of the preferred institutional arrangements and the activities necessary to put those institutions in place
  • A description of key personnel and necessary external support
  • An action plan and timeline for implementation.

To develop strategic energy plans, it is important to provide each tribe with the human resources required to develop and implement the plans. The project coordinator and circuit rider will provide technical support and hands-on assistance as required. In addition, each tribe will designate its own energy project coordinator as a contact for the project. One of the main advantages of developing a multitribal program for Lake County is efficiency; many of the local energy issues are common to all tribes. In addition, the program will produce regional data that helps bridge the nontribal and tribal governments. Since the regional data will be required for each of the strategic energy plans, acquiring the data and organizing it is organic to the program.

Project Location

The Robinson Rancheria is located in Lake County in northern California. The total land base of the Rancheria consists of 1120 acres that are located approximately 2 miles southeast of Upper Lake, California, and approximately 1.5 miles northwest of the town of Nice. Robinson Rancheria is located approximately 1.4 miles north of Clear Lake, which is the largest natural lake in California. The Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians is comprised of approximately 480 members.

Project Status

This project is complete. For details, see the final report.

The project was competitively selected under the Tribal Energy Program's fiscal year 2007 funding opportunity announcement, "First Steps Toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands," and started in September 2007.

For additional information, consult one of the project contacts.

Project Contact

Irenia Quitiquit
Director, Environmental Department
Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians
1545 E. Highway 20, P.O. Box 4015
Nice, CA 95464
Telephone: 707-275-0250
E-mail: iquitiquit@robinsonrancheria.org

Meyo Marrufo
Project Coordinator
Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians
1545 E. Highway 20, P.O. Box 4015
Nice, CA 95464
Telephone: 707-275-0250
E-mail: mmarrufo@robinsonrancheria.org

<p><strong>Tribe/Awardee</strong><br />Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians</p><p><strong>Location</strong><br />Nice, CA</p><p><strong>Project Title</strong><br />Strategic Energy Planning and Energy Options</p><p><strong>Type of Application</strong><br />First Steps (Planning)</p><p><strong>DOE Grant Number</strong><br />DE-FG36-07GO17092</p><p><strong>Project Amounts</strong><br />DOE: $100,000<br />Awardee: $32,237<br />Total: $132,237</p><p><strong>Project Status</strong><br />Complete</p><p><strong>Project Period of Performance</strong><br />Start: September 2007<br />End: December 2008</p>