The caddo nation of oklahoma in binger, oklahoma seeks tedc funding to conduct a study into the feasibility of developing a tribal utility authority (TUA), which is a chartered tribal entity capable…

The Caddo Nation of Oklahoma received a $150,000 Project Grant from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) Grants program (CFDA 15.148). The grant funding will support the tribe in conducting a feasibility study to establish a Tribal Utility Authority (TUA), which would be a chartered tribal entity responsible for governing, distributing, and managing the tribe's energy and utilities.

The key products and services to be delivered under this grant include: (1) assessing the current state of the tribe's energy infrastructure and utility services; (2) evaluating the tribe's energy requirements and identifying preferred renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind; (3) analyzing power needs for the tribe's newly developed childcare center; (4) drafting ordinances and a regulatory framework for the proposed TUA; and (5) providing a final recommendation report and roadmap for establishing the TUA. The Caddo Nation expects this project to increase tribal sovereignty, empower its institutions, and align the TUA with the tribe's values by exploring sustainable energy sources. The final deliverables will include a formal business plan and the finalization of uniform commercial codes.

The caddo nation of oklahoma in binger, oklahoma seeks tedc funding to conduct a study into the feasibility of developing a tribal utility authority (TUA), which is a chartered tribal entity capable of governing, distributing, and managing tribal energy and utilities. The tribe is motivated to establish its own TUA to reduce energy costs for the 26,945 residents of caddo county, OK which includes many tribal members., align the tribes energy use and production with tribal values by exploring sustainable energy sources, and improve energy resilience and reliability. This project represents another step in our tribes journey toward self-sufficiency and contributes to all three ingredients of economic growth. Establishing a TUA will increase our tribal sovereignty, empower our tribal institutions to make decisions and administer policy, and align the tribes institutions (in this case, a TUA) with our values by exploring more sustainable energy resources. Tedc grant funds will support the tribe in (1) assessing the current state of energy infrastructure and utility services (2) assessing energy requirements and identifying technologies with preference on renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind (3) assessing power needs for the tribe, to include a newly developed childcare center (4) drafting ordinances and a framework for ordinances and (5) providing a final recommendation report and roadmap for moving forward. The caddo nation of oklahoma expects this project to reinforce our tribes commitment to responsibly managing tribal lands to promote environmental sustainability, create jobs and workforce development opportunities for our community, and increase energy resilience while lowering energy costs for the tribe and its tribal members. The final deliverables will include a formal roadmap and business plan along with the finalization of uniform commercial codes.