Renewable Energy May
Bring Economic Boom
November 25, 2005 — By David Melmer, Indian Country Today
DENVER — A most unlikely partnership
between tribes and cities may be in the offing, and the connection could
go a long way toward saving the environment by providing clean and
renewable energy.
A Native Renewable Energy Summit was held in Denver Nov. 15 -- 17 to
brainstorm for ways in which the cities and tribes can partner to
achieve their individual goals. The summit was designed to bring ideas
to the table that could develop into workable plans for tribes and
cities to work together to move toward a cleaner environment while
overcoming pitfalls and generating economic opportunities.
Tribes -- especially those in the northern Great Plains -- want to
develop clean, economically sustainable energy sources; and they have
great wind resources available throughout most of their tribal lands.
The many cities that have pledged to reduce their dependence on
carbon-producing power share a common ground with the tribes. Tribes
could lead the way by showing their commitment to clean air and water,
and creating the potential to expand the distribution of power.
A plan is on the table to build wind turbines on nearly all of the
Plains reservations to provide the power they and nearby communities
need.
The marriage of a clean environment and economic development may not be
easily created, yet the obvious barriers seem to be few.
Mayors from 180 cities across the country have signed on to an agreement
to protect the climate and agreed to participate in the principles of
the Kyoto Protocol, even though the federal government is not a party to
that international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
worldwide.
So far, three cities -- Boulder, Colo., Aspen, Colo. and Seattle -- have
agreed to explore possible partnerships with the tribes. Those cities'
mayors participated in a conclave in Denver with tribal leaders from all
corners of the country.
"The cities are desirous of taking positive action. Since the United
States has not participated in the Kyoto Protocol, the cities are taking
the initiative," said Robert Gough, secretary of the Intertribal Council
on Utility Policy.
Boulder Mayor Mark Ruzzin said his city's residents want renewable
energy used. "And we are starting to see that all across the country.
"There is a grass-roots component with cities; and now we need to see if
the states can move now, and then eventually get the federal government
involved," Ruzzin said.
"This is very much an environmental and economic area worth tapping
into. We are seeing wind as extremely viable. Wind is here and the sun
is here: we need to tap into them for the future and change what the
past has built upon."
That's good news for the tribes. There is an estimated 17,000 times more
wind on the northern Great Plains than would ever be utilized. But
putting the package together may be difficult.
Questions remain about financing wind turbines, connecting to the grid,
exploring what type of agreement tribes would have with federal power
authorities and -- one of the largest 'ifs' -- whether enough turbines
are available. As more countries take advantage of the wind to generate
clean power, a worldwide shortage of turbines has developed.
Renewable energy use for power is growing in this country, especially
locally. Ruzzin said Boulder set a goal of finding 500 customers who
wanted to use renewable energy, and before the idea was formally made
public the city had more than 1,000 subscribers.
Aspen has agreed to a zero-carbon footprint. That city uses power from
the Western Area Power Administration, a federal agency, which normally
would produce power from hydroelectric dams. But given the current
drought conditions, hydropower is down and Aspen now receives 80 percent
of its power from coal-generated facilities. Eventually, the tribes
hope, the city could request WAPA add tribally generated power to the
grid.
WAPA's extra power comes from the No. 1 producer of carbon dioxide in
the country -- Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Located in North
Dakota, Basin Electric supplies most of the power for the Great Plains.
Basin Electric burns lignite coal, one of the most polluting of fossil
fuels used in electricity generation.
Beth Conover, director and special adviser of Denver's Sustainability
Initiative office, said the city is very interested in reducing
greenhouse gases and supports renewable energy sources.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has endorsed a positive climate change,
and most of the mayors have been contacted by ICOUP to begin dialogue
toward that goal.
"There is a tremendous generation capacity on reservations; the idea is
to find ways of getting power to those cities to reduce their carbon
footprint. This would provide a chance for some of the poorest areas to
provide a sustainable, low-carbon future," Gough said.
Most customers in the cities, when asked if they would be willing to pay
a little more for power that was generated from renewable sources, said
they would.
The market is there, the opportunities are there; but the logistics need
to be worked out. That part appears to be the most difficult. Tribes may
be in a better position than most cities or states when it comes to
legal matters because of their sovereignty. The sovereignty of the
tribes and their connection to the federal government may be the link to
get power on the grid.
To become renewable-energy role models, tribes need to set an example.
Some tribes have set environmental standards, but to be part of the
clean, renewable energy movement they must also pass standards and rules
and enforce them not just on their own lands, but on private and
government-owned lands as well.
Legal precedent has been set in that area by the Isleta Pueblo of New
Mexico against the city of Albuquerque. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld
Isleta's right to force Albuquerque to abide by the Pueblo's standards
with a wastewater treatment plant. The Pueblo demanded clean water, and
the city was forced to build a new treatment plant to protect the water
that flows into the Pueblo.
The new energy bill passed by Congress holds many opportunities for
tribes, Gough said. Those opportunities may just be the openings needed
for further discussion and partnering with other government entities to
create a viable economic engine for tribes with renewable resources.
To see more of Indian Country Today, or to subscribe to the newspaper,
go to http://www.indiancountry.com.
Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
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