There’s a large disconnect between energy and the American public. Most people think they understand energy, but when tested, they really don’t. 8 out of 10 Americans say energy is something they can understand, but when asked real questions, more than half couldn’t answer even 60% of the questions correctly.
Most people knew that the sun is the main source of energy for life, but many couldn’t answer basic questions like which action actually saves energy or which resource produces the most electricity. Only about 25% of people could accurately read and calculate the information on a sample energy bill.
Americans feel confident about energy, but their actual knowledge and understanding of their electric bill is much lower than they think.
What we consistently experience is that when people are given access to energy information resources, they are able to shape better energy decisions and influence policy, and we can learn a lot from the experience of many Indigenous communities as proof of this success.
There are about 17,000 homes or 54,400 people without access to electricity across Indian Country. There is an increasing gap between the funding and technical support available and what is actually needed to advance energy projects in indigenous communities. At the same time, more native people are engaging in energy education and outreach.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a great time to celebrate these energy accomplishments and explore what lessons energy professionals can learn from indigenous nations in addressing critical energy issues.
Building microgrids on reservations
Many indigenous reservations were placed in remote areas that have low grid reliability, making it difficult to rely on power. Building microgrids on native reservation land in particular provides the opportunity for people to own their power and train communities to run facilities, creating jobs, and gaining energy independence.
Local efforts, such as disaster preparedness and recovery training, energy efficiency services, and renewable energy education, can support more resilient energy investment decisions. Educational outreach from nonprofits and energy businesses has helped some communities prioritize energy efficiency measures before developing on-site energy generation that acts as power plants on native land, which the community owns and operates.. It takes education to get these measures across the contract stage, and it takes collaboration to deliver the information necessary for these types of decisions to benefit the entire grid.
Federal incentives are being phased out, causing many energy producers and installers to seek different ways to achieve renewable energy market expansion. Microgrid projects on indigenous land are proof that lasting change and energy sovereignty can be achieved.
Building local power with microgrids for energy sovereignty
The Colusa Indian Community Council in California is a great example of how indigenous involvement and education can support greater, self-reliant energy project adoption. Colusa’s approach combines solar panels, battery storage, and advanced energy management tools to deliver both reliability and local control, which leads to less reliance on distant utilities, mitigating risks associated with grid vulnerabilities, such as outages caused by natural disasters or infrastructure failure. Developing these projects is a collaborative process and involves extensive consultations and partnership with both indigenous community members and energy experts. Native knowledge of land care intersects with energy engineering, creating a holistic approach to energy management that benefits the environment and the community. This integrated approach also creates opportunities for local job creation, skill development, and economic growth, also reinforcing resilience and sustainability.
21% of homes in the Navajo Nation and 35% of homes within the Hopi Tribe remain without electricity. Blue Lake Rancheria (BLR) in CA’s Humboldt Bay is an example of a rural area experiencing heavy rainstorms, forest fires, and frequent power outages that can last from several days to weeks, where energy resilience was a serious concern.
BLR focused on building resiliency for energy, water, food, communication/IT, and transportation, with energy being the first priority. The Blue Lake Rancheria microgrid became a national model for clean, reliable power. The system includes 420 kilowatts of solar power, battery storage, and advanced control technologies, delivering about 25% in energy savings a year. Completed on time and on budget, it won multiple national awards and has since been used as a teaching and demonstration site for over 150 tours and new microgrid projects.
Jana Ganion, former BLR Director, stated, “We started with energy because we need quality power to support the other lifeline sectors.” Subsequently, BLR built a community-scale microgrid servicing a six-building campus (certified American Red Cross shelter center, casino, hotel, two restaurants, and an event center) along with a facility-scale microgrid at the Tribe’s fuel station and convenience store.
Source: Schatz Energy Research Center
When Pacific Gas and Electric carried out its first public safety power shutoff in 2019 to reduce wildfire risks, Blue Lake Rancheria stood out as one of the few places still powered. Supported by its own clean energy microgrids, the community with fewer than 100 members was able to keep lights on and provide power and shelter for about 10,000 people in under 30 hours.
Major Project Elements:
- 420 kW photovoltaic array
- 1150 kW / 1950 kWh battery energy storage system
- microgrid management system
- PCC protective relay
- legacy 1 MW backup diesel generator
Financial Results:
- ~$200,000 annual electricity cost savings
- 25% drop in electricity cost
Integrated outreach and connecting energy efficiency to renewable education
The commitment to renewable energy in indigenous communities was very apparent at the 2024 Tribal Clean Energy Summit. More than 700 tribal leaders, staff members, and partners gathered to network and share how training and community outreach efforts are changing the energy industry. These summits build trust and create communities where problems and solutions flow easily and actually fit the people who use them. Keeping people connected through webinars, facility tours, case study reporting, and peer learning networks ensures that knowledge does not dissipate between large conferences, and it gets built into educational campaigns to promote progress.
[Source: Tribal Clean Energy Summit]
Energy retailers and program administrators will need to meet individuals and communities where they are, and this means creating basic energy information, offering multilingual content, adjusting for different skill levels, and respecting that the right energy solution depends on multiple variables based on local climate, how buildings are used, occupation patterns, and cultural sensitivities.
C&I indigenous projects create local impact and industry transformation
C&I energy projects on indigenous land are great case studies for energy independence, proving how renewable energy strengthens local economies, generates substantial revenue, and also trains local technicians in solar operations and maintenance.
[Source: Solar Builder Magazine] Costco solar and battery microgrid designed by Trinity Energy
Each C&I project brings in jobs ranging from electricians and project managers to energy system operators. These projects also signal to banks and investors that renewable energy projects are a winning strategy for their ROI.
Households on native land pay 28% more for energy than the national average. C&I projects help bridge that gap by generating new income streams that can offset residential costs, fund energy efficiency programs, or other local priorities.
What we’ve seen with renewable energy projects on native land is a sense of relationship-building premised on respect for sovereignty and self-determination, creating outreach programs that are more effective when tailored and focused on that particular community’s values.
When done strategically, education captures and shares project lessons, how financing is structured, and how interconnection hurdles are overcome.
Education as infrastructure for energy transformation
Every successful energy endeavor, from neighborhood microgrids to C&I solar farms, has the ingredients of learning, sharing, and transferring knowledge in ways that are meaningful to our culture and environments.
As market incentives shift and new financing models emerge, will the energy industry recognize education as the foundation for lasting market growth, or will we continue to treat it as a marketing expense?
The communities leading this work have already answered, and they are walking the walk, showing that energy education and sharing knowledge are the framework that makes renewable projects resilient.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the power sector has to consider what it means to reclaim power. For energy producers, installers, and businesses wanting to accelerate renewable adoption, we recommend investing in education that honors community wisdom and distills complex information into everyday language.
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Resources:
U.S. Department of Energy. “Tribal Energy Access.” https://www.energy.gov/topics/tribal-energy-access
U.S. Department of Interior. “Tribal Energy Development.” https://www.doi.gov/ocl/tribal-energy-development
U.S. Department of Energy. “2024 Tribal Clean Energy Summit.” https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/2024-tribal-clean-energy-summit
U.S. Department of Energy. “Tribal Energy Snapshot: Colusa Indian Community Council.” https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/articles/tribal-energy-snapshot-colusa-indian-community-council
Solar Builder Magazine. “Indigenous-led Partnership Expands Solar Sovereignty in Montana Projects.” https://solarbuildermag.com/featured/indigenous-led-partnership-expands-solar-sovereignty-in-montana-projects-weekly/
California Energy Commission. “Demonstrating a Secure Reliable Low-Carbon Community Microgrid at Blue Lake Rancheria.” CEC-500-2019-011, 2019.
First Nations Development Institute. “Increasing Tribal Renewable Energy: Report 2025.” https://www.firstnations.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Increasing-Tribal-Renewable-Energy-Report-2025.pdf
U.S. Department of Energy. “Tribal Energy Project Successes.” https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/tribal-energy-project-successes