Award detail

FORT BELKNAP INDIAN COMMUNITY (FBIC) PROPOSES TO CONDUCT A STUDY INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A SOLAR PLUS STORAGE FACILITY ON A RECENTLY RESTORED BROWNFIELD SITE ON THE FORT BELKNAP RESERVATION LANDS IN ORDER TO SERVE THE ENERGY NEEDS OF NEARBY TRIBAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. IN 2022, FBIC RECEIVED AN EPA GRANT TO REMOVE CONTAMINATED SOIL ON THE VACANT OLD AGENCY DUMPSITE LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF FORT BELKNAP AGENCY ON TRIBAL LANDS THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL SERVE THE EAGLE VALLEY ESTATES PROJECT, A TRIBAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OF 28 HOME LESS THAN A MILE AWAY FROM THE PROJECTED TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION IN 2026. THE TRIBE IS MOTIVATED TO TRANSFORM THE BROWNFIELD SITE INTO AN ECONOMIC AND ENERGY ASSET FOR THE TRIBE THAT WILL INCREASE GRID RESILIENCE AND PROVIDE CONTINUOUS POWER DURING EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES. THE TRIBE ANTICIPATES A SOLAR PLUS BATTERY STORAGE SOLUTION WILL CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED ENERGY RESILIENCE SERVE THE TRIBES LONG-TERM GOALS FOR SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE ADAPTATION, AND TRIBAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ALLOW THE TRIBE TO MOVE FURTHER TOWARD ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY. ESTABLISHED IN 1888, THE FORT BELKNAP INDIAN RESERVATION IS HOME TO THE GROS VENTRE (AANIIIH) AND ASSINIBOINE (NAKODA) TRIBES. FBIC HAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000 ENROLLED MEMBERS, OF WHICH ABOUT 3,400 LIVE ON THE RESERVATION. THE RESERVATION ENCOMPASSES 675,147 ACRES ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH OF THE CANADIAN BORDER IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. THE LAND IS MOSTLY ROLLING HILLS WITH THE LITTLE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE RESERVATION. THE FORT BELKNAP INDIAN COMMUNITY AIMS TO FIND NEW ENERGY GENERATION OPTIONS UPON ITS LAND TO REACH ITS OVERALL LONG-TERM GOALS OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY RESILIENCE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION THROUGH INCREASING RENEWABLE ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE ON FBIC LANDS BY 2050. THE TRIBE ALSO AIMS TO DEVELOP MORE TRIBAL HOUSING ON THE RESERVATION, AS WELL AS ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE TO SERVE THE HOUSING NEEDS THIS PROJECT WILL EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF SUPPLYING ITS ENERGY NEEDS THROUGH THE PROPOSED PROJECT SCOPE. TO MEET FBICS LONG-TERM GOALS, THE PROJECT WILL MEET THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES IN THE SHORT-TERM: (1) ASSESS THE TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF COMMUNITY-SCALE SOLAR AND BATTERY STORAGE ON A RESTORED BROWNFIELD SITE ON TRIBAL LANDS AND (2) ASSESS THE FUNDING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO ACCELERATE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GRANTS, LOANS, CREDITS, AND INCENTIVES.

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