Rebroadcast: Building Tribal Communities' Energy Independence with Indigenous Energy Initiative

At the time of recording, Indigenized Indigenous Energy Initiative was named Indigenous Indigenized Energy Initiative.

Indigenous Energy Initiative:

Indigenous Energy Initiative (IEI) is a native-led non-profit and Earth Island Institute-sponsored project that is developing solar infrastructure within tribal communities. Native communities disproportionately lack access and pay higher costs for utilities, especially electricity, which significantly impacts access and opportunities for remote work, education, and more. In 2014, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that 14% of native households lack access to electricity, which is ten times the national average. IEI is working to increase indigenous energy ownership and access to help address the social, economic, and environmental injustices that burden native communities. IEI's focus is on building energy independence as a way to support indigenous communities and eradicate energy poverty. 

IEI is currently working within the Northern Cheyenne Reservation community in Montana to guide the reservation’s $4.1 million solar initiative. IEI’s first project was Muddy Hill Microgrid which was a small solar system to support a multi-use community center, fire station, and water filtration system on the reservation. The project was built by tribal members who received solar training through IEI. In 2021, IEI worked on a residential project for elders in the Standing Rock Reservation. Another project IEI is currently working on is the White River Community solar project which is developing residential solar for specific tribal elders and commercial solar for several schools. The Department of Energy is providing $3.2 million of funding for the project and the reservation, and IEI must match twenty percent of this funding. 

Chéri Smith:

Chéri Smith is the founder and CEO of the IEI. Smith is the descendent of the Mi'kmaq tribe of Maine/Canadian maritime and her mission is to use her expertise in climate change and economics to educate, build solar capacity and bring independence to indigenous communities. Smith has two decades of experience in energy and environmental sustainability in multiple sectors from the public, private, NGOs, higher education, consulting, and tribal communities. Before IEI, Smith worked as a coordinator at Tesla-SolarCity, Director of Education and Outreach at the American Council on Renewable Energy, she served as an advisory board member for Masters in Renewable Energy program at Pennsylvania State University, worked as an advisor at the Yale School of Business and the Environment, and worked on Core Education Advisory Committee for SEIA’s Solar Power International. Additionally, Smith founded and was the Executive Director of the nonprofit Solar Campus Initiative and there worked as Climate Leader trained by Al Gore. Smith also was awarded the Cordes Fellowship for recognition for developing solar projects for native communities. Through her work at IEI, Smith works to honor her native heritage and use energy knowledge to make native communities more resilient, independent, and sustainable sovereignties. 

Sources:

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/rebroadcast-building-tribal-communities-energy-independence-with-indigenous-energy-initiative/