FIRST TRIBAL SUN RISING IN NM

NM Indian Tribe Hopes to Profit From Solar Energy; NM Indian tribe that holds the sun sacred sees a brighter future in solar power
Susan Montoya Bryan, January 12, 2010 (AP via ABC News)

"…The 3,000 members of the Jemez Pueblo [- a poverty-stricken Indian tribe that holds the sun and nature's other gifts sacred - ] are on the verge of building the nation's first utility-scale solar plant on tribal land, a project that could bring in millions of dollars.

"Experts say tapping into the sun, wind and geothermal energy on Indian land could generate the kind of wealth many tribes have seen from slot machines and blackjack tables…The 30-acre site where 14,850 [Jemez Pueblo] solar panels will be set up has been selected, and after four years of arduous planning and negotiations, a contract to sell outsiders the electricity produced by the four-megawatt operation is at hand. The plant would be capable of cranking out enough electricity to power about 600 homes…[It] would cost about $22 million, financed through government grants, loans and tax credits…[and] bring in around $25 million over the next 25 years. That could help the tribe improve its antiquated drinking water system and replace the lagoons it uses to treat wastewater."

New Mexico has just a little sun. (click to enlarge)

"Renewable energy is a new option for bringing revenue to Indian country, where many communities are poverty-stricken and unemployment is often double the national rate. Jemez Pueblo's effort comes after the federal government refused to let it build a casino because the proposed site was too far away from the community…Indian tribes control more than 55 million acres of land across the nation, and those lands are capable of producing an estimated 535 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year from wind power…Solar has even greater promise, at 17 trillion kilowatt hours per year, or more than four times the amount of electricity generated annually in the U.S…

"President Barack Obama acknowledged the possibilities during a meeting last fall with leaders of the nation's tribes. He said he would work to ensure tribes have access to transmission and financing for energy projects…From 2002 to 2008, the Tribal Energy Program funded nearly 100 projects totaling $16.5 million. A 2005 federal law authorizes up to $20 million for the program each year."

And the Jemez Pueblo is in the heart of New Mexico's sun. (click to enlarge)

"One of the leading tribes has been the Campo Kumeyaay Nation outside of San Diego. It is home to a 50-megawatt wind farm, and the tribe is joining forces with San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to build a second wind farm capable of producing 160 megawatts. Tribal wind farms have also sprouted up across the Midwest.

"However, the development of solar power on Indian land is in its infancy. While many tribes use solar panels to power casinos and individual homes, Jemez Pueblo is leading the way in developing a grid-connected solar array for selling power to outside customers…Every fall, Jemez Pueblo gives thanks to nature in an age-old harvest celebration during which dancers wearing headdresses and jingling bells pound the ground with their feet to the beat of drums. Tribal members hold the sun sacred as the source of the warmth and light needed to grow crops in this remote area about 50 miles northwest of Albuquerque…"