Full Title: Tribal Energy: Federal Assistance to Support Microgrid Development
Author(s): United States Government Accountability Office
Publisher(s): United States Government Accountability Office
Publication Date: July 22, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Tribes and their citizens may experience difficulties obtaining reliable and affordable electricity or may not be connected to a traditional electricity grid at all. Inadequate electrical infrastructure or severe weather events can leave Tribes and their citizens without power for critical buildings and emergency services.
Microgrids are electricity systems that can operate independently from a traditional electricity grid. Microgrids can help Tribes deliver power to their communities and protect from grid disruptions. However, developing a microgrid can be a costly and complex endeavor that poses financial, technical, and other challenges for Tribes.
The Department of the Interior’s Indian Affairs organization, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Denali Commission—an independent federal agency designed to provide critical utilities, infrastructure, and support for economic development and training in Alaska—have supported tribal microgrid development. The GAO was asked to examine tribal microgrid development. This report provides information on the federal programs available to support such efforts, the challenges Tribes face with microgrid development—including unique challenges with microgrids in Alaska—and actions the federal government has taken to address some of these challenges.