Every two years, leaders from tribal and state governments, federal agencies, private industry, utilities, and academia have an unparalleled opportunity to exchange ideas at the National Tribal Energy Summit (NTES) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy in cooperation with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
With the theme of Tribal Energy: Powering Self-Determination, the 2019 NTES was held September 24-26, 2019, in Washington, D.C. The event brought together tribal and state leaders from across the nation along with their staffs, senior leadership from DOE and the Department of the Interior (DOI), industry experts, and tribal leaders from all corners of the country to explore new and cost-effective solutions to national energy interests.
Presentations and plenary session videos are available on the NCSL website, with select highlights included here.
The 2019 NTES began Tuesday, Sept. 24, with an invocation delivered by Southern Ute Indian Tribe elder, Ray C. Frost, father of Office of Indian Energy Director Kevin R. Frost. Director Frost delivered opening remarks to kick off the Summit, supported by a host of other DOE and federal agency representatives. In her, Indian law expert and advocate Maranda S. Compton explored ways Indian Country might participate in the developing gig economy.
In the afternoon, Summit participants attended a series of learning labs focused on a variety of DOE tribal energy programs, initiatives, and projects-among them the, DOE efforts to involve younger generations in, and overviews of various DOE-funded projects across Alaska and the Lower 48.
The second day of the Summit started with a Celebration of Women in Energy breakfast, where an inspiring invocation from Bernadette Cuthair of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe led into women in energy focused keynotes from Jennifer Lichter, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and tribal business owner Michelle Holliday.
Office of Indian Energy Director Frost followed those keynote addresses with moving remarks on how his personal history drives him to fulfill the Office’s mission of supporting fellow tribal leaders in finding solutions for energy security and sovereignty.
The morning concluded with a legislative focus, as U.S. Representative and member of the Cherokee Nation Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma) expressed his views on tribal policy, followed by a panel on broader U.S. policy in Indian Country with various federal and tribal organization representatives and a presentation on DOI’s Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and energy opportunities in Indian Country. Over lunch, attendees were treated to an in-depth armchair discussion among Indian law experts on the next era of self-determination.
The afternoon gave attendees options to attend various learning labs on topics including rural, cybersecurity, tribal energy opportunities from the DOI Division of Energy and Mineral Development and U.S. Department of Agriculture, efforts to, and overviews of several DOE-funded tribal energy projects.
Exhibits and networking sessions created additional avenues for attendees to exchange ideas and make strategic business connections-including an evening networking reception.
The final morning of the 2019 NTES began with learning sessions on the U.S. DOI and DOE Office of Electricity and Western Area Power Administration.
Next, in his keynote address, Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes announced a notice of intent from the Office of Indian Energy to issue a new funding opportunity for tribal energy infrastructure development-funding that will help Native American and Alaska Native communities harness their vast energy resources to reduce or stabilize energy costs, as well as increase energy security and resilience.
Fittingly, the event’s learning labs concluded with a presentation from Office of Indian Energy Deployment Supervisor Lizana Pierce on the array of the Office provides for Native American tribes and Alaska Natives.
Download the complete set of presentations and view plenary session videos from the 2019 NTES on the NCSL website.
View photos from the event on the Office of Indian Energy’s Flickr site.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
