WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) is soliciting grant proposals from Indian tribes for projects to build tribal capacity for energy resource development.
“Tribal energy resources are integral to building strong tribal economies, while also playing an important part in President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to increasing America’s energy independence,” Washburn said. “The Department of the Interior’s Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant program provides tribes with the opportunity to increase and improve their ability to develop their energy resources not only to benefit their communities, but the nation as a whole.”
Energy and mineral development on federal Indian lands plays a critical role in creating jobs and generating income in Indian Country, while also contributing to the national economy. The TEDC grant program helps tribes in assessing, developing or obtaining the managerial and technical capacity needed to develop energy resources on Indian land and properly account for energy resource production and revenues, as provided for under Title V, Section 503 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Federally recognized tribes, including Alaska Native regional and village corporations and tribal energy resource development organizations are eligible to submit proposals under this solicitation.
TEDC grants are intended to help eligible entities meet the following goals regarding energy resources they intend to develop or are developing on Indian land:
- Determine the current level of a tribe’s or tribal energy resource development organization’s technical, administrative, or management capacity for identified energy resource development activities;
- Determine which technical, administrative, or management capacities for tribal energy resource development need enhancement;
- Determine what process(es) and/or procedure(s) may be used to eliminate capacity gaps or obtain the development of energy resources development capacity (including training and policy and code development); and
- Determine how the process(es) and/or procedures(s) identified above will be implemented.
Examples of activities eligible for TEDC grants include, but are not limited to, assessing or determining how to develop or obtain an eligible entity’s capacity for:
- Reviewing proposals for leases, business agreements, or rights-of-way;
- Negotiating and reviewing leases, business agreements, or rights-of-ways;
- Evaluating the environmental effects of energy resource development projects the applicant may enter into, including those related to cultural resources;
- Monitoring the compliance of a third party with the terms and conditions of any leases, business agreements, and rights-of-way the applicant may enter into;
- Establishing or managing energy development-related departments or administrative divisions within the tribe or tribal energy resource development organization;
- Providing for energy development-related technical, scientific, and/or engineering expertise within the tribe or tribal energy resource development organization;
- Developing or enhancing tribal policies, codes, regulations, or ordinances related to regulating energy resource development; and
- Accounting for energy resource production and revenues.
Under the 2005 Act, Congress appropriates funds on a year-to-year basis to the Department of the Interior for TEDC grants. IEED will use a competitive evaluation process to select projects for funding awards.
The Department published a Notice of Solicitation of Proposals in the Federal Register on Dec. 20, 2013. Proposals must be submitted by Feb. 18, 2014, to be considered. Proposals may be mailed or hand-carried to the Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Attention: Ashley Stockdale, 1951 Constitution Ave., N.W., MS-20-MIB, Washington, D.C. 20240, or emailed to Ashley Stockdale at Ashley.Stockdale@bia.gov.
The Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. IEED’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native communities by helping federally recognized tribes with employment and workforce training programs; developing their renewable and non-renewable energy and mineral resources; and increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses. For more information about IEED programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm
