TL/DR –
The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced $72 million in federal funding for home electrification projects on Tribal lands. The funding, which benefits 21 tribes, is the result of a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The initiative aims to address the lack of electricity access in numerous Tribal and Alaska Native communities, notably within the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe, where a large number of homes remain unelectrified.
U.S. Tribes Secure $72 Million Federal Funding for Home Electrification Projects
The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced a substantial $72 million in federal funds for home electrification projects on tribal lands. This funding, benefiting 21 tribes, is part of the Tribal Electrification Program, a result of a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, authored by Senator Brian Schatz, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Contact Mike Inacay for more information.
Chair Schatz expressed his satisfaction at funds reaching communities in need: “It’s unacceptable that so many Tribal and Alaska Native communities lack access to electricity. That’s why we ensured the Inflation Reduction Act included $150 million for home electrification. I look forward to seeing the remaining critical funding distributed in the coming months.”
Currently, over 16,000 tribal homes and 54,000 residents lack electricity. A majority of these homes are located in the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe. Leaders from these tribes have previously testified at Senate Committee hearings on the Inflation Reduction Act and the role of the federal government in supporting tribal energy needs.
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