The first Native American-owned and -operated large-scale turbine in the country went on line in February 2003. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe's 750-kilowatt wind turbine is the first commercial turbine, with 30 megawatt projects planned for the Northern Cheyenne reservation (MT), Makah reservation (WA), and Rosebud Reservation (SD). As well, the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes of Fort Peck (MT) hope to bring a 660-kilowatt turbine on line. That turbine alone will reduce the tribal electric bill by $134,000 annually, and help establish a senior citizen's kitchen to feed elders daily and finance other programs through savings. Recently funded projects on the White Earth, Red Lake, Leech Lake, Fond Du Lac and Grand Portage reservations will bring more power to lands in Minnesota. Broad work in both technical assistance and creative financing mechanisms by Honor the Earth, in coordination with Intertribal Council On Utility Policy has the promise, if supported, of bringing more wind power to the reservations, and to the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) grid system.

Electricity generation capacity in the United States is about 600 gigawatts. Native reservations in the Great Plains possess the wind energy potential for over one-half of that amount. Placement of even a fraction of this energy source on reservations into the United States electricity grid would make a significant impact on the standard of living for Native Americans, adding to a tribally-owned and managed economic flow to benefit some of the most impoverished communities in the country. These tribal communities also represent, in the words of Robert Gough from the Intertribal Council On Utility Policy, the "head winds" for the regional "windshed." In other words, the prevailing winds from the region largely move to the east into the area of greatest United States energy usage. Tribal wind advocates hope to bring at least 3000 megawatts of wind power to the market in the next ten years.

Indian country has unemployment rates which are 50% or more, but could benefit both from small scale assembly work, and from the potential for renewable energy's job creation in rural areas. Investing in alternative energy, is investing in jobs, since the fuel supply is from the Creator. The European Union estimates 2.77 jobs in wind for every megawatt produced, 7.24 jobs/megawatt in solar, and 5.67 jobs/megawatt in Geothermal. Or, in short 1000 megawatts of renewable power averages 6000 jobs, or 60 times more high paying jobs than in fossil fuels and nuclear power. That is basically the difference of putting money back into the community, or into the pockets of utilities and energy companies.

Honor the Earth's Pine Ridge Initiative

The Pine Ridge reservation in western South Dakota is home to the Oglala Lakota people. This is the poorest county in the United States, and one of the least electrified. Those who have electricity pay a disproportionately high price for their power as a percentage of their income. The reservation is served by rural electric cooperatives, which are member owned, and the Lakota are the largest member base of the cooperatives. The Pine Ridge reservation could produce up to 4000 times more wind power than it would use for it's own needs. We intend to develop a model on this reservation in coordination with our grassroots allies.

We are working on renewable energy systems on Pine Ridge. Our work involves small scale operations, medium, and tribal utility work. The first is the KILI Radio (Lakota Communications) Wind Tower, which we anticipate will be erected by the fall of 2004. This 65-kilowatt wind tower is being constructed in coordination with NativeEnergy, Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Oglala Lakota College, Intertribal Council On Utility Policy and Lakota Action Network. The second system is an integrated tiosapaye (extended family/network) based system intended to include solar and wind technologies and to serve as a model for rural extended Oyate, tiosapaye and communities on the Pine Ridge and other reservations. Both pieces of work involve technical assessments, negotiations with LaCreek Rural Electric Cooperative, Tribal ordinances on energy and net metering, and the building of local capacity. Finally, the Oglala Lakota College is working to erect a turbine in the next three years, and we are also working with the Pine Ridge Tribal Council in its work to promote a utility scale wind complex on the reservation.