Building Energy Independence: Resilience and Reliability for Rural and Tribal Communities

When you survey the wind turbines and oil rigs that cover vast swaths of the tallgrass prairie of the Osage Nation in northeast Oklahoma, you could be forgiven for assuming that this development matched a robust energy infrastructure across the entire Nation. Like many tribal and rural communities, however, the development of these assets has not delivered widespread expansion of transmission infrastructure, even as regional electricity demand has skyrocketed.

As I was writing this article, my cousin living in the Nation’s Senior Housing in the capital of Pawhuska informed me that his power goes out 3-7 times a week for up to several hours at a time, and also that additional scheduled outages were common. A local professional told me that back-to-back outages had burned out the compressor on their deep freezer and wasted hundreds of dollars in food, while another mentioned a lack of reliable electricity as a key challenge preventing them from expanding local manufacturing.

While certainly an inconvenient problem for anyone, these outages pose larger risks for tribal elders, who are more likely to be reliant on consistent electricity for CPAP machines and other medical equipment, and are more at risk when air conditioning and heating go out. This also creates a challenge for indigenous professionals and leaders trying to make the case for native youth to stay or come back to their tribal lands because they can’t rely on the infrastructure necessary to engage with increasingly online and electrified educational and employment opportunities. Further, backup generators can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, are prone to high costs tied to local fuel prices, and are sometimes poor solutions due to zoning or excessive noise issues.

The Osage experience is not uncommon. Energy resilience and reliability are pressing challenges for rural and tribal communities across the country, where aging infrastructure often leads to frequent power outages and rising energy costs. Rural and tribal communities in the United States face unique energy challenges. Outdated infrastructure, geographic isolation, and limited access to affordable power leave many of these regions vulnerable to frequent outages and volatile
energy costs.

For communities like the Osage Nation, the pursuit of energy independence has become an urgent priority—not just for resilience but as a path toward economic empowerment and sustainability, as well as tribal sovereignty. Localized renewable energy solutions, particularly microgrids and community solar projects, offer a transformative opportunity that would address a number of these issues. By tailoring renewable energy systems to local needs, these initiatives provide a sustainable and equitable framework for addressing energy insecurity.

Energy insecurity affects not only economic stability but also the quality of life in these areas. Frequent power outages disrupt essential services, including healthcare and education, while unreliable energy systems deter investments and stifle economic growth. The high cost of energy in remote regions further compounds these challenges, disproportionately impacting low-income households. These systemic issues underscore the importance of adopting renewable energy technologies that can provide consistent and affordable power while promoting environmental sustainability.

Aging grid infrastructure presents significant barriers to reliable energy access, so opportunities to utilize solar and storage technologies decentralized across tribal lands and matched closely to electrical demand can allow for improved local infrastructure with minimal transmission upgrades. Microgrids, self-contained energy systems with storage and energy production that can operate independently from the main grid, have emerged as a cornerstone of resilience.

Through partnerships with local organizations, tribal governments can establish solar farms that serve community members directly or across individual buildings and infrastructure projects, enabling energy savings and fostering shared ownership models. These projects not only mitigate infrastructure challenges but also empower residents to take control of their energy futures.

In California, tribal microgrids have demonstrated the significant benefits of localized renewable energy systems. The Blue Lake Rancheria, for example, installed a microgrid combining solar photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage, which has provided critical backup power during regional grid outages and natural disasters. This system, funded through the California Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge, exemplifies how state and tribal collaborations can foster resilience and sustainability (California Energy Commission, 2024).

Similarly, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians implemented a 15-megawatt solar project with advanced battery storage to achieve energy resilience and cost savings, supported by funding from the Department of Energy’s Tribal Energy Financing Program and the Inflation Reduction Act (Microgrid Knowledge, 2024).

Renewable energy projects in tribal communities present transformative opportunities for economic and social empowerment. By fostering collaboration between tribal leaders, community members, and renewable energy developers, these projects facilitate meaningful engagement that goes beyond surface-level involvement.

Initiatives such as participatory energy planning workshops and culturally informed consultation processes allow Indigenous voices to shape project design and implementation. This ensures that renewable energy solutions respect tribal sovereignty, integrate traditional ecological knowledge, and align with cultural priorities.

In addition, programs emphasizing workforce training and the development of Indigenous-owned businesses not only create local jobs but also strengthen economic self-determination. Such approaches exemplify how renewable energy initiatives can bridge historical inequities while fostering trust and long-term community resilience (U.S. Department of Energy, 2023).

Despite the promise of renewable energy, tribal and rural communities often encounter policy and financial obstacles. Limited funding mechanisms, regulatory hurdles, and inconsistent federal support can delay project implementation. To address these challenges, tribal communities have engaged in strategic partnerships with nonprofits, universities, and federal agencies. These collaborations have unlocked funding opportunities and provide access to technical expertise, demonstrating the importance of cooperative approaches to overcoming systemic barriers.

Regulatory compliance and meaningful engagement with tribal nations are critical to the success of renewable energy projects on or near tribal lands. Federal energy regulators, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), have increasingly emphasized the importance of obtaining tribal consent before initiating projects. This shift, described as a move toward “actual empowerment of tribal communities,” reflects broader policy goals of respecting sovereignty and ensuring equitable development (Heatmap News, 2024).

Projects can face significant delays, like the SunZia transmission line, or even cancellations when faced with legal challenges for failing to adequately consult tribal governments or delivering appropriately balanced benefits across stakeholder groups, highlighting the consequences of insufficient engagement. By incorporating robust consultation processes and adhering to federal guidelines, renewable energy developers can foster collaborative partnerships that advance both tribal sovereignty and sustainable energy goals.

The work that we’re doing in the Osage Nation and other tribal communities to support the planning and feasibility of solar and storage projects is just beginning. The vision of energy independence illustrates the transformative potential of renewable energy in rural and tribal communities to bring real sovereignty to native communities over their energy infrastructure. By leveraging microgrids and collaborative planning, these efforts deliver not only resilience and reliability but also economic empowerment and energy equity.

As other communities consider similar paths, we look to previous examples and hope to utilize the Osage experience as an inspiring model of innovation, resilience, and determination. Renewable energy is not just a solution for today’s challenges but a cornerstone for a sustainable and equitable energy future.

About the Author
As the President of Eighth Generation Consulting, Metzger specializes in full-lifecycle solar and storage installations. Eighth Generation delivers project and construction management, stakeholder engagement and community benefit planning, grant writing, and administration focusing on sustainability and renewable energy projects. A member of ASES, Metzger also works as a sustainable business and economics instructor at Wilmington University.

References

• U.S. Department of Energy. (2023). Energy Storage Equity: A Roadmap for Disadvantaged Communities.
• California Energy Commission. (2024). Tribal Microgrids. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/5cj3asvy
• Microgrid Knowledge. (2024). Tribal Communities Want Energy Resilience with Microgrids: Is the U.S. Stepping Up? Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/3ca7xecv
• Heatmap News. (2024). SunZia Lawsuit Highlights Need for Tribal Consultation in Renewable Energy Projects. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/mvh6kv79

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