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DOE TRIBAL SUMMIT - MAY 2011

    The Department's Tribal Summit with American Indian and Alaska Native leaders  was held on May 5, 2011 in Washington, D.C.  Forging a new era of DOE and Tribal Relations , the DOE Tribal Summit was attended by over 350 participants ranging from tribal leaders to congressional staff to private sector representatives.  Aimed primarily at engaging an interactive government-to-government dialogue, the Summit was preceded the day prior by a series of DOE and Tribal leadership themed roundtables. Read the full recap. 

TRIBAL LEADER ROUNDTABLES

In March and April 2011, the Office of Indian Energy conducted 8 roundtables with tribal leadership, tribal organizations, and other entities interested or involved in energy development in Indian Country.  The goal of the roundtable discussions was to identify the various opportunities, obstacles, and issues in energy development, infrastructure, education, financing, and electrification in Indian Country.  The Office of Indian Energy specifically sought input in four areas:

  1. Tribal Energy Priorities
  2. Feedback on DOE Policies and Programs
  3. Federal Government-wide Energy Issues and Coordination
  4. Suggestions for Future Office of Indian Energy Programs

The following summarizes the input received, by area.

Tribal Energy Priorities

  • Protect tribal sovereignty and environmental, natural, and cultural resources
  • Support energy project and economic development
  • Provide affordable energy access in rural tribal communities
  • Access, coordinate and secure a broad range of funding resources for large and small scale tribal energy projects
  • Develop renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, hydro and biomass energy production
  • Work with federal agencies and Congress to streamline various energy policies and regulation, particularly where multiple federal agencies are involved in tribal energy projects

Feedback on DOE Policies and Programs

  • Increase tribal access and inclusion in energy transmission planning and capacity
  • Provide flexibility within tribal energy policies and grants across federal agencies to meet the unique needs of tribal governments and communities on a case by case basis
  • Streamline program, policy and regulatory requirements
  • Re-examine, develop, and adapt tax laws and policies to provide an incentive for tribal governments and the energy industry to develop tribal energy projects within tribal lands
  • Ensure policies and programs continue to develop and expand tribal technical capacity

Federal Government-wide Energy Issues and Coordination

  • Engender coordination, leadership, and flexibility among agencies involved in tribal energy projects, including in the following areas:
    • Regulations and requirements
    • Grant and loan funding resources and opportunities
    • Permitting
    • Training and technical capacity building
  • Support federal government and agency preference for buying energy from tribal governments
  • Coordinate tribal consultation

Suggestions for Future Office of Indian Energy Programs

  • Expand programs that encourage and fund energy efficiency projects within tribal lands
  • Provide DOE guidance and recommendations for tribal inclusion in transmission development projects
  • Design programs with a training focus for tribal technical capacity building on energy development—particularly include financing and best practices in project development
  • Increase regulatory interaction of and with local energy co-ops to help build better relationships for energy development collaboration
  • Establish a clearinghouse for federal agencies and tribal governments on energy policies, programs, funding, notices and projects.

Roundtables Reports:

Executive Summary; Reno;  Las Vegas;  Pala;  DC;  Phoenix;  Albuquerque; Anchorage;  Tulsa