Tribal Energy Alternatives has awarded $3.6 million in grants to 26 tribes and tribal organizations through its Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund program, the nonprofit announced this week.

The grants will support clean energy development projects ranging from solar installations to workforce training and energy planning. Recipients span tribal communities across the United States, from small remote villages to large tribal enterprises.

The 2025 funding cycle includes four grant categories: Facility Residential Grants for solar installations at tribal homes and community buildings; Capacity Building Grants for workforce training and organizational development; Gap Fund Grants to bridge funding shortfalls for shovel-ready projects; and Energy Planning Grants for comprehensive energy planning.

Recipients of Facility Residential Grants include the Cahuilla Band of Indians, Ho-Chunk Nation, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Nez Perce Tribe and Spokane Tribe, among others. Capacity Building Grant recipients include Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Blackfeet Community College and Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

“These grants reflect our ongoing commitment to helping Tribal Nations define their own clean energy futures,” said Darrell Hill, TSAF grant program officer. “Each project we support strengthens community resilience, economic opportunity, and Tribal sovereignty through renewable energy.”

The funding helped the Menominee Indian Tribe work with its agriculture department to install a 70-kilowatt solar array for the Community Kitchen expansion project. 

“The TSAF funding was instrumental in moving us closer to our energy sovereignty goals at the Community Development & Utilities Dept for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (MITW) – ensuring that as we grow economically, we do so sustainably,” Netasha Chevalier, director of community development for MITW, said in a statement.

Since its inception, the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund has provided more than $19 million in direct grant funding to tribal-led projects. Tribal Energy Alternatives, formerly GRID Alternatives’ National Tribal Program, operates as a tribal-led affiliate focusing on clean energy solutions in Indian Country.