The LAC courte oreilles band of lake superior chippewa (LCO) is a federally recognized tribe located within mixed forest woods, water, and wetlands within sawyer county, wisconsin

The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin received a $234,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) Grants program (CFDA 15.148). The purpose of this 2-year grant, which runs from May 2025 to May 2027, is to enable the tribe to establish a tribal utility entity. Key activities include forming a tribal utility charter, conducting due diligence for commercial investment decisions, creating energy and eminent domain ordinances, engaging with the incumbent electrical utility, and informing the tribal government's decision on commercial investment in the tribal utility operations. This project aims to build the tribe's technical, managerial, and organizational capacity for energy resource development on its reservation lands.

The reservation is adjacent to the chequamegon national forest and is approximately 15 square miles, 76,000 acres, with 2,000 members residing within 25 separate communities. The LCO people continue to practice traditional subsistence by hunting, fishing, and gathering throughout the four seasons. In addition, LCO people enjoyyear-round recreational activities. LCO is seeking $234,000 in tedc funding for its project titled LAC courte oreilles tribal utility initiation. This project, led by jordan ST germaine, will form the tribal utility entity via a tribal government board-approved charter, complete due diligence for commercialinvestment decisions, create energy and eminent domain ordinances, seek support from the proposed tribal utilitys key customer, and engage with the incumbent electrical utility. The project consists of five key tasks that will create the tribal utility entity and inform adecision by the tribal government board on commercial investment in the tribal utility operations.