Assessing Energy Resources
All tribal lands have some usable energy resources, although the extent and variety of available energy sources varies widely, as do the economics of using those energy resources. For instance, even the smallest tribal lands have solar energy available to them, and solar electricity is feasible for some uses even in cloudy or far northern climates.
Most fossil-fuel resources on tribal lands are tapped in cooperation with industrial partners and provide a royalty stream back to the tribe for its benefit and use. In most cases, these projects contribute little or nothing to the tribe's energy self-sufficiency. But if natural gas is available—either on tribal lands or from outside tribal lands via a pipeline—it can serve as an energy source in ways similar to electricity. Natural gas can be used as both a heating source and a means of generating power on both small and large scales. For more information on your fossil-fuel options, see Fossil-Fuel Resources.
In contrast to fossil-fuel resources, renewable energy resources are usually either used at their location or are converted into electricity, which can be used onsite or fed into the power grid. The sole exception to that rule is biomass, which in some forms (such as wood) can be shipped short distances. Although tribes may choose royalty-stream arrangements for some large-scale renewable energy projects, tribes would likely accrue benefits more rapidly by owning the projects themselves and using their energy production as they see fit. For more information, choose from the renewable energy sources listed below: