Grant Will Let Red Lake Invest in Microgrid System for Secondary School

A multi-million dollar grant will help the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians invest in an innovative, behind-the-meter microgrid system to provide electricity for a secondary school complex.

In turn, that will help the band build towards a larger cooperative network to offer energy sovereignty and resilience in rural, tribal communities.

The $3.15 million grant comes from the Department of Energy’s Local Government Energy Program. That program’s Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) funding opportunity supports federally recognized Indian tribes and local governments to implement clean energy projects and programs that provide direct community benefits, spark additional investments, meet community-identified priorities, and build local capacity.

In all, including Red Lake, 12 local governments and tribes will receive $31 million through the program.