microgrids in four communities at a ribbon cutting today. SDG&E photo
A tribal community in San Diego County secured a multi-million dollar loan guarantee for green-energy infrastructure Friday.
According to a press release from the Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Energy provided a loan guarantee of up to $72.8 million to US. Bancorp to fund a microgrid project for the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, a tribal community near Alpine.
The loan will be used to develop a solar-powered microgrid on the tribe’s land, which the DOE says will lower energy costs and strengthen tribal energy sovereignty.
“Amid surging energy demands, the Viejas Microgrid project is a win-win for the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and California’s clean energy goals,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA).
“California tribes deserve energy independence and security as they adapt to the climate crisis, and the Inflation Reduction Act is making that priority a reality,” said Padilla.
A press release from the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians said that the contractor for this project, Indian Energy, was “100% Native American Indian-owned and operated.” The tribe estimates that this project will create 250 construction jobs and eight permanent operation jobs.
“[The microgrid] supports the environmental protection and cultural stewardship of our ancestral land, thereby ensuring the vibrant future of our children,” said Chairman John Christman.