Tribal Energy Alternatives Workforce Program is Building the Next Generation of Indigenous Clean-Energy Leaders 

In a year marked by new challenges in the renewable energy industry across Indian Country, the Tribal Energy Alternatives (TEA) Education and Workforce Development Program continued to expand their impact in 2025. The Workforce Development team implemented initiatives geared toward empowering Native communities with the skills, tools, and opportunities needed to lead in the energy transition and support energy sovereignty.  

Tribes Do Not Need a Greenlight to Build Renewable Energy

Staff Opinion. This article examines how outdated policies and practices of rural electric cooperatives continue to impede Tribal renewable energy projects, despite Tribes’ inherent sovereignty over energy decisions on their lands. Using the Upper Sioux Indian Community’s solar project as a case study, it highlights the critical role Public Utilities Commissions play—and often fail to play—in respecting Tribal authority, addressing inequities, and reforming regulatory processes. The piece calls for structural change to ensure Tribal Nations can develop clean energy without unnecessary barriers and affirms that renewable energy development on Tribal lands is an internal Tribal matter.

Tribal Energy Alternatives Awards $3.6 Million to 26 Tribes Through the TSAF Grant Program

[Denver, CO] — Tribal Energy Alternatives (TEA) proudly announces the award of $3.6 million in grants through its Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) program, supporting 26 Tribal Nations and organizations across the United States. The funding will advance clean energy development, build local capacity, and strengthen Tribal sovereignty through sustainable energy solutions.