Cherokee Indians, Eastern Band of - 2007 Project
| Project Overview | |||||||
| Tribe/Awardee: | Cherokee Indians, Eastern Band of | ||||||
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| Location: | Cherokee, NC | ||||||
| Project Title: | Strategic Energy Plan | ||||||
| Type of Application: | First Steps | ||||||
| DOE Grant Number: | DE-FG36-07GO17084 | ||||||
| Project Amounts: |
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| Project Status: | See project status  |
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| Project Period of Performance: |
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Summary
An energy committee — consisting of key tribal government personnel — will be established to formulate the tribe's energy vision, goals and objectives, with input from, and approval by, the tribal budget council, tribal council, and principal chief. As part of the planning process, the tribe's current energy profile and future needs will be established. The current profile will include the amount of energy used, major energy users, sources of energy, and distribution system. Future projections, consistent with the tribe's goals for economic development and population growth, will be generated. Gap analysis will be performed to determine those areas that need to be addressed.
Several renewable energy alternatives exist on the tribe's lands and will be addressed in the strategic energy plan. The Appalachian Mountains that traverse the reservation offer substantial potential for wind power. Numerous rivers and streams are potential sources of hydropower. Vast forest areas and agricultural lands have enormous potential for energy production from biomass. There are also opportunities for solar electrical and thermal power as well as geothermal heat pump systems. For the most promising alternatives selected, an action plan will be developed to identify the steps necessary to reach the desired energy future.
Project Description
The Eastern Band's objective is to develop a strategic energy plan that defines the tribe's energy vision, goals and objectives. It plans to establish current energy usage and future needs. The tribe wants to assess the full spectrum of renewable and conventional energy opportunities and energy efficiency options, developing an action plan to reach the defined goals.
Potential project impacts include increasing the current number of employment opportunities; providing year-round (rather than seasonal) employment; protecting the natural environment from current high pollution levels; diversifying the present economy which is heavily dependent on gaming; protecting the Great Smoky National Park; providing stability and future well being for the tribal people and the land they live on; eliminating frequent power interruptions; reducing tribal energy costs and price fluctuations; promoting green energy; providing renewable energy learning tools for local schools; generating revenue from the sale of excess electricity; and attracting new businesses and jobs.
Objective
The objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive tribal strategic energy plan that (1) defines the tribe's energy vision, goals and objectives, (2) establishes current energy usage and future needs, (3) assesses the full spectrum of renewable and conventional energy opportunities and energy efficiency options, and (4) includes an action plan to reach the defined goals.
The strategic energy plan will support, and be directly tied to, the tribe's plans for economic development, preservation of natural resources and the environment, and perpetuation of tribal heritage and culture. The specifics of the plan will be developed as a result of the First Steps grant.
Scope
The tribe will provide personnel to manage the overall First Steps grant effort; develop the tribe's vision, goals, and objectives; prepare data on existing and forecasted energy use; assemble geographic, forestry, agricultural and land use data; oversee and approve all subcontractor's efforts; and integrate the results with the tribe's other initiatives.
The tribe will establish an energy committee consisting of key tribal government personnel from within the tribe's planning and development directorate (Office of Environment and Natural Resources, Strategic Planning, and Geographic Information Systems) along with the principal chief's executive assistant, to formulate the vision, goals and objectives.
This broad cross-section of committee representation will ensure that the tribe's many different perspectives are represented and that all parts of the tribal government will feel ownership of the results, which is key to acceptance and implementation of the plan. Interim results will be presented to the tribal planning board, tribal council and principal chief, as appropriate, to ensure the involvement, support, and approval of the tribe's leadership.
The tribe's strategic energy plan will be created using the strategic planning process outlined in DOE's Guide to Tribal Energy Development. The overall process has been divided into six tasks:
- Develop the tribe's energy vision, goals and objectives
- Establish the tribe's current and projected energy needs
- Identify the available renewable and conventional energy and energy efficiency options
- Assess the available options versus the goals and objectives
- Develop an action plan for the selected options
- Complete the strategic energy plan.
During the First Steps phase, only a preliminary assessment of the energy options will be performed to identify the most promising alternatives, i.e., those that meet the tribe's goals and objectives and are both technically feasible and financially attractive. Those alternatives will be candidates for feasibility assessments during the next phase of the program. For the alternatives selected, questions that need to be answered will be determined, tasks that need to be performed will be identified, timeliness for those tasks established and cost estimates prepared. The goal is to provide the tribe with a management tool to track progress against costs.
The action plan will also address actions associated with needed human capacity building. These actions will include the long-term approach to energy management within the tribe's government, as well as actions associated with building the human capacity needed for the installation, operation, and support of any energy production or efficiency options selected.
Project Location
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe consisting of over 13,000 enrolled members who are direct descendants of those Cherokee who avoided the forced removal to Oklahoma in the 1830s' "Trail of Tears." Over 8200 members live on the more than 56,000 acres of land held in trust for the tribe by the federal government, known as the Qualla Boundary, bordered by the state of North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Project Status
The project was competitively selected under the Tribal Energy Program's fiscal year 2007 funding opportunity announcement, "First Steps Toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands," and started in September 2007.
For current project status or additional information, contact one of the project contacts.
Project Contact
Damon Lambert
Tribal Planner
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
P.O. Box 455
Cherokee, NC 28719
Telephone: 828-497-1845
E-mail:
damolamb@nc-cherokee.com
Joella Jackson
Environmental Specialist
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
P.O. Box 455
Cherokee, NC 28719
Telephone: 828-497-1832
E-mail:
joeljack@nc-cherokee.com