New York (Platts)--19Jul2007

Tribal representatives gathered in Washington Wednesday, enthusiastic to learn
about developing renewable energy, siting transmission lines, private/public
partnerships and breaking through the bureaucracy that often accompanies large
energy projects.

But the tribes are not interested in just developing their natural resources.
They also want to protect the land and locations having special meaning for
the tribes. 

Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the former senator from Colorado and a member of the
Cheyenne tribe, told representatives of the Native American community that
they should take a closer look at the Energy Policy Act of 2005. "Many of you
in this room supported that bill and it's in your best interest to pursue
every aspect of it if you plan to develop your resources." Title 5 of EPAct ?
the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act ? provides not
just grants, low-interest loans and technical assistance for energy projects,
but it also allows tribes to submit Tribal Energy Resources Agreements.

"TERA is a roadmap of how you develop your resources, should you want to as a
tribe. It's framework that gives primary importance to tribes in dealings with
leases and business agreements. Once approved, every decision the tribe makes
on energy development after that does not have to be authorized, revisited or
reapproved by any federal agency," Campbell said.

Campbell told tribal representatives that EPAct gives tribes the opportunity
to become full partners in what happens on their lands. He encouraged them to
become more politically active, not just at the state level but at the federal
level.

"Tribes have been burned so many times in this country that they have every
right to be cautious and move slowly to develop their resources," But the best
part of the energy bill is that they can move to develop their own resources,
he said.

In another presentation, Nora Mead Brownell, a former member of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, faced a barrage of questions regarding approval
of transmission lines. For example, a Passamaquoddy member told her his tribe
was having trouble getting access to transmission lines needed for wind
projects they are developing in Maine.

The conference was sponsored by Law Seminars International. 

-- Regina Johnson, regina_johnson@platts.com