Native America Calling: Tribal solar projects shine on without much federal support

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Native America Calling: Tribal solar projects shine on without much federal support

Monday, July 13, 2026

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Tribal solar projects shine on without much federal support

Tribal officials and renewable energy advocates are celebrating a major legal victory after an administrative judge in Minnesota ruled in favor of the Upper Sioux Community and the tribe’s solar-powered casino.

The dispute centers on the tribe’s right to supplement its power with on-site solar energy. It also highlights the friction between tribal sovereignty and local utility monopolies.

In federal court, a separate legal battle is underway to reclaim frozen funding from the $7 billion “Solar for All” program that had been championed by the prior administration. Despite the federal standstill, Minnesota tribes like the Red Lake Nation and the White Earth Nation are forging ahead, successfully building their own solar infrastructure to secure energy independence.

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A solar panel installation on the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota. Photo courtesy Red Lake Government & Public Relations

Guests on Native America Calling

Robert Blake (Red Lake Nation), founder and CEO of Solar Bear, a business in Minnesota, and executive director of Native Sun Community Power Development, a non-profit in Minnesota

Nathan Mathews, executive director of the White Earth Nation Tribal Utility Commission on the White Earth Nation in Minnesota