• About the Guide
• Development Process
  • Energy Planning
  • Evaluating Options
  • Organizational Development
  • Project Development
    • Feasibility Assessment
    • Interconnection Process
    • Management Decision
    • Contracting Out
    • Tribal Development
    • Engineering Design
    • Power Agreement
    • Permitting and Licensing
    • Financing
• Assessing Energy Resources
• Energy Technology Basics
• Electricity Grid Basics
• Costs
• Project Implementation Issues
• Case Studies
• Glossary

Government Loans and Loan Guarantees for Project Financing

The following are U.S. federal government sources of tribal energy project loans and loan guarantees.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

• Rural Energy for America Program Guaranteed Loans — Encourages the commercial financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
• Rural Development Loan Assistance — Funds projects that bring housing, community facilities, business guarantees, utilities, and other services to rural America.
• Electric Program Loans — Financial assistance for utilities through guaranteed, hardship, treasury rate, and municipal rate loans as well as assistance to rural communities with extremely high energy costs.
• Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans — Finances business, industry, and employment to improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities.

U.S. Department of Interior

See information on the Indian Affairs Division of Capital Investments, which offers a loan guarantee program for tribes and individual Indians.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program — Offers a home mortgage specifically designed for American Indian and Alaskan Native families, villages, tribes, or tribally designated housing entities.
• Tribal Housing Activities Loan Guarantee Program — Assists Indian Housing Block Grant recipients who need a federal guarantee for financing affordable housing.

U.S. Small Business Administration

For small businesses, see information on loan programs.