Native communities have disproportionately low access to and pay higher rates for utilities, particularly electricity, which has a significant impact on access and opportunities for remote work, education, and other activities. The Indigenized Energy Initiative works to increase indigenous energy ownership and access in order to address the social, economic, and environmental injustices that native communities face. This week, Chéri Smith, founder and CEO of IEI, discusses their strategy for assisting indigenous communities and eliminating energy poverty. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/building-tribal-communities-energy-independence-with-indigenized-energy-initiative/
For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/building-tribal-communities-energy-independence-with-indigenized-energy-initiative/
Chéri Smith: Some of these folks have electric bills out in the planes that are 800, $900 a month, when you introduce solar and the savings of solar to a home that is already stricken with poverty, the money that is saved, it's going to buy clothing and shoes and medicine and, food,
Ethan: I'm Ethan Elkind, and you're listening to Climate Break. Native Americans living on reservations often face higher electricity costs and worse service, leading to what's known as energy poverty. Could tribal-owned solar grids be the solution? Cheri Smith is co-Founder the Indigenized Energy Initiative, which helps tribes develop solar power grids on reservations. She says that when tribes gain access to solar on their own terms, it has transformational effects.
Chéri Smith: how can a nation be sovereign? when energy poverty keeps you dependent. Our goal is for any tribe that wants it, to support them in their self-determined efforts to achieve a state where they are no longer reliant on outsiders for their natural resources.
Ethan: Smith says they're developing a new model of solar based energy sovereignty, starting with the White River Community Solar Project on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana.
Chéri Smith: It includes residential, small commercial and a small utility scale system built by native people for native people. The benefits are shared between the homeowners, and the host entities, and the tribe. They are contributing half of those savings back into a revolving fund, which helps the tribe pay for more solar.
Ethan: To learn more about the Indigenized Energy Initiative and how renewable energy can support tribes' energy sovereignty, visit climatebreak.org.