Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa explores clean energy options

Krishna Woerheide, the Environmental Specialist with Grand Portage, coordinated the effort across different departments to upgrade the lights in the community building. “Members of the community gather there throughout the year for classes, social events, and meetings. It is used for the sustainable foods initiative and Alzheimers awareness,” says Woerheide. She added that the CERTs Seed Grant application and reporting were user friendly. She also noted that the project has led to looking at retrofitting additional buildings with energy efficiency measures and potentially solar.

Grand Portage used a CERTs Seed Grant to help fund a solar feasibility study. Which Tribally-owned buildings were solar ready? Should each building have its own solar array, or should there be one for the community at large? If the latter is true, where would be the best location and what size of array would be appropriate? The study helped provide answers to questions like these.

“We're working on determining the best way forward in providing clean energy to the Grand Portage community,” says Woerheide. “Goals are twofold — to decrease cost to the Tribe and maintain energy sovereignty.” She notes that their power is obtained from a cooperative some 60 miles away. “Because of the distance and the state of the lines, the reservation experiences frequent power outages and brown-outs. This is difficult for enterprises as well as appliances in private homes. This project has helped us get closer to a decision regarding future power sources.”