Nathan Nash: Nobody notices energy until it's gone really.
We've been out for weeks at a time, days at a time, and our diversification is a need
more than just a want.
Dave Pelunis-Messier: All of our villages that are off the road
system, the main source of electricity is from diesel generators, and that's our supply
for energy, for health clinics, for peoples' houses for heat in the winter.
If the electricity goes out, if the power goes down, you know we have really big problems.
And so it's like a tenuous thread in some ways, so that's our life link, basically.
Doug MacCourt: The tribes are in a fairly unique position
with renewable energy or clean energy projects partly because the goal of having clean energy
is a very good fit with a lot of the mission of the tribal government and the tribal people
to improve their quality of life, make the best use of the resources that they have.
Frannie Hughes: When we go out to harvest food, fish, and
meat, we do not waste anything.
Everything is accounted for, everything is used, and honey, if we can't eat it, we're
going to make art with it.
Doug MacCourt: Part of the challenge has been that tribal
governments often don't have as much experience in or capacity as the private sector or their
comparable state or federal counterparts in managing and using these resources.
And so we have to build that capacity from the ground up.
One of the great things about the tribal energy program is that has been part of the core
mission from the beginning.
Lizana Pierce: The main intent of the program has been really
to provide financial and technical assistance and the information and education to the tribe
so that they can reach their energy efficient.
Gepetta Billie: There are a lot of tribes out there who are
actually doing stuff.
They're making things happen for themselves.
They're not just sitting back and waiting to be saved anymore.
They're learning how to articulate a vision for themselves that comes from an understanding
of where they've been and where they want to go, and they're pulling together as many
resources as they can that are available to them to implement projects that will make
meaningful changes within their communities.
Dave Pelunis-Messier: Seeing is believing, and the TEP program has
been able to fund some great projects that have allowed people to see that the stuff
is possible, and it's possible off the road system.
It's possible on a small micro-grid, and it's possible with local labor with some assistance
as required.
But you've got to start somewhere.
You know, and the TEP program has definitely allowed a lot of my villages to have that
start, and then others will be able to follow where they've led.
Tanya Martinez: My vision would be decreasing our energy consumption
and being able to take advantage of all the resources available to that community, whether
it be solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, ground source, heat pumps, day lighting, and creating
homes and buildings and communities that are more in synch with their environment.
Dave Pelunis-Messier: Having electricity, it's a modern comfort.
Everybody likes being able to take warm showers, to go to the washeteria, to go to the health
clinic in their community, and the backbone of that is electricity, and so by doing more
renewable energy projects, doing more energy efficient projects, we kind of give them more
control over their energy future.
Doug MacCourt: I'm actually very optimistic about the future.
Tribes can serve the renewable energy needs and much of the total energy needs of this
country if they can actually participate in the market.
Craig Moore: I think tribes having access to that tribal
energy program is extremely important because they're the ones right in those communities.
They know what needs to be done, they know what their issues are, and they do need some
assistance in helping reach solutions, so I think your program is excellent for that.
Lizana Pierce: My hope for the future is that we can build
upon the successes that the tribes have made to date that we can continue to provide services,
whether it be technical assistance, funding, education, information, and we can see this
pipeline of projects be realized.