On Wednesday, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Val Hoyle announced that Oregon’s Energy Department has secured $10.9 million and four Tribes with members in Oregon have earned a combined $1.16 million in federal investment.
A joint release said this is to modernize the electric grid and reduce the impacts of extreme weather while also ensuring power sector reliability.
The four tribes securing the federal funds are the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Burns Paiute and Nex Perce.
The federal money for the state Energy Department and four Tribes is part of a combined total of $473.6 million nationally in fiscal year Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The resources will be distributed as follows:
*Oregon Department of Energy: $10.9 million
*Confederated Tribes of the Warming Springs: $454,958
*Nez Perce Tribe: $290,877
*Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians: $268.172
*Burns Paiute Tribe: $148,901
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe Chairman Karla Keene said, “…we aim to use these generous funds to improve the reliability of delivering power, water and utility services provided by our own Umpqua Indian utility Cooperative to the many Cow Creek Umpqua Tribally-owned properties, our Tribal citizens, and our community members in Canyonville”. Keene said, “This grant allows us to exercise our sovereign rights, strengthen the resilience of our system, and put us closer to achieving one of our long term goals of energy independence”.
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