Alliance For Tribal Clean Energy

10/13/2026

The clean energy transition is happening. The question is who leads it for your Nation.

The Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship℠ brings together emerging and established leaders from across Indian Country to develop the expertise, relationships, and practical skills to advance clean energy development in their own communities — at no cost to accepted fellows.

Applications for Cohort 2 are open now through October 15, 2026. Online classes run January 21 through April 8, 2027.

Learn more and apply: https://ow.ly/zZ0p50ZSu0S

10/12/2026

We're excited to host our 4th Annual Tribal Clean Energy Symposium at RE+ Events next month, and we hope to see you there! It's more than a conference — it's a working forum where Tribal Nations and industry come together to build the understanding and partnerships that turn opportunity into successful projects.

🗓️ Wednesday, November 18 | 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
📍 Las Vegas Convention Center, West Hall 314-316
🎟️ $350. Space is limited, so register now to reserve your spot!

Not a Solar Energy Industries Association or Smart Electric Power Alliance member, and want to attend the full conference? Enjoy 15% off Full Conference registration with this special Alliance discount code: 26ALLIANCE15.

See more details below! 👇

10/12/2026

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we’re reflecting on what it means to honor Tribal Nations through meaningful action. A year ago with our partners at Solar Energy Industries Association, we launched Pathways to Trust: A Learning Journey Towards Equitable Tribal Partnerships℠ with that goal in mind. Today, we’re excited to continue that work by announcing two new levels, launching in November on SEIA's online learning site.

Pathways to Trust℠ is a professional development curriculum designed to prepare energy developers, industry professionals, and organizations to build effective, respectful partnerships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities.

Levels 1 & 2 of the program build a foundational understanding in Tribal sovereignty and engagement. The next two levels shift from general awareness to place-based understanding and applied strategy.

📍 Level 3: Regional Context examines Tribal land tenure, systemic inequity, and the distinct histories and governance of Indigenous communities in Alaska, Hawaiʻi, the Pueblos, and California’s Rancherías.

🤝 Level 4: Applied Partnership Strategies puts that understanding into practice, covering financing mechanisms, economic partnership models, and community benefits agreements for renewable energy projects.

Whether you’ve completed Levels 1 & 2 or are just getting started, enroll now and you’ll be notified when Levels 3 & 4 are live: https://ow.ly/7wsy50ZWBmc

Prefer to learn in person? Join us for a three-hour interactive Pathways to Trust℠ training during the RE+ Events conference, in Las Vegas! It will draw highlights from Levels 1 & 2 and include a brief first look at Levels 3 & 4.

Monday, November 16, 2026 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Pacific
Las Vegas Convention Center | Las Vegas, NV | West Hall, Room 221

Register today: https://ow.ly/MgQ250ZWBma

10/06/2026

To advance clean energy projects in Indian Country, Tribal leaders must navigate technical, financial and policy considerations that fit the needs and goals of their communities.

The Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship℠ (TELF) helps build that capacity through a 12-week program that offers Fellows specialized education, mentorship, technical assistance, and connections to a professional network of energy experts — at no cost. TELF℠ is for Indigenous individuals serving their own Tribe (or another Tribe) as a Tribal official or employee.

Applications for the Spring 2027 TELF℠ cohort are open through October 15, 2026. Read what Fellows and instructors from the first TELF℠ cohort have to say about their experiences and what makes the program valuable — from building knowledge and navigating complex challenges to creating spaces for connection and learning.

Online classes run January 21-April 8, 2027.

Learn more at tribalcleanenergy.org/tribal-energy-leaders-fellowship and apply by October 15: tribalcleanenergy.libwizard.com/f/TELF-application_2027.

10/02/2026

HAPPENING TODAY: Census Consultation, 3-5 p.m. Eastern!

Tribal sovereignty is inherent. Federal accountability depends on accurate data.

The Alliance shares the National Congress of American Indians' concerns about proposed 2030 Census changes that would remove race and ethnicity questions. When American Indian and Alaska Native people aren't counted accurately, it becomes harder to hold the federal government accountable for its responsibility to support the infrastructure, housing, and energy investments Tribal communities need.

The Census Bureau's Tribal consultation is TODAY, 3-5 p.m. Eastern, and written comments are due November 2. NCAI's talking points and resources are linked in the post below.

Census Consultation TODAY - The Future of Tribal Representation and Federal Funding is at Stake.

How Indian Country is counted matters. Proposed changes to the 2030 Census would remove race and ethnicity questions, threatening critical data about American Indian and Alaska Native populations that help inform federal funding for housing, health, transportation, and community development.

NCAI urges Tribal leaders and officially designated representatives to make their voices heard during today’s virtual U.S. Census Bureau Tribal consultation.

🗓️ TODAY, October 2
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET

Prepare for the consultation with NCAI’s overview, talking points, and additional resources. Written comments from Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations are due November 2, 2026.

Register and access resources: https://hubs.la/Q04z2hBD0

Protect our data. Strengthen our representation. Help shape the future of Indian Country.

09/30/2026

September was National Workforce Development Month, and it was a productive one at the Alliance!

Energy sovereignty is built not only with solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and equipment. It takes people to envision these projects, to design and build them, and run them for generations. That requires deliberate and sustained investment in developing Native talent, plus cultivating industry understanding of the distinct legal, cultural, and governmental identities of Tribal Nations.

At the Alliance, workforce development means building Tribal workforce capacity for every facet of clean energy development. For Tribal Nations, the Alliance offers first-of-their-kind programs like the Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship℠ (TELF), Tribal Innovation Labs℠, and Renewable Energy, Resilience, and Disaster Preparedness Education. These programs strengthen expertise within Tribal communities, which strengthens sovereignty.

Wherever possible, Tribal clean energy projects should be built by the people, for the people, so the benefits stay in the community for generations. Pathways to Trust: A Learning Journey Towards Equitable Tribal Partnerships℠ prepares energy developers and service providers to engage Tribal governments as sovereign partners and the Tribal workforce as essential members of the project team.

Together, these programs build the skills, relationships, and trust required for a sovereign energy future.

To learn more about our programs or partner with us, visit tribalcleanenergy.org.

09/29/2026

We're proud to share that Chéri Smith, Founder, President & CEO of the Alliance, received an inaugural Way Maker Award today at RECESS, the Resilience and Equity in the Clean Energy Sector Summit. RECESS is a national convening dedicated to building an equitable, regenerative clean energy economy.

The Way Maker Award honors trailblazers who open doors, shift systems, and expand what's possible in clean energy. For more than a decade, Chéri has done exactly that. She built an organization that champions the self-determined clean energy efforts of Tribes and Alaska Native Villages nationwide, advancing equitable energy policy, delivering technical assistance, and cultivating the partnerships, capital, and workforce pathways that turn Tribal vision into reality.

Our deep appreciation goes to Carla Walker-Miller and the entire RECESS team for their tireless advocacy on behalf of Tribal Nations and other historically marginalized communities on the frontlines of the clean energy movement.

Congratulations, Chéri!

09/29/2026

We hope to see you this week at the Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) Leadership Forum in Chicago, where Alliance CEO Chéri Smith is speaking on “The Human Side of the Energy Transition: ESG, DEI and What It Means Today” at 11:30 a.m. Central Time, Oct. 1.

The industry has seen unprecedented change and unparalleled uncertainty in the past two years. But our values and vision remain. In the wake of such whiplash, this session will explore the future of infrastructure, how women fit into the next wave of growth shaping the future, and how to build a responsible industry.

Chéri will join Jessica Lawrence-Vaca, Chief Commercial Officer at ARRAY Technologies, and Souzi Weiland, Senior Vice President of People & Culture at CoVolt Power, for a discussion moderated by Noemi Gallardo, Commissioner, California Energy Commission.

The Forum brings together experts, policymakers, and rising leaders committed to building an equitable clean energy future — perfectly aligned with Alliance’s mission of supporting Tribal energy sovereignty.

09/25/2026

Today marks Native American Day, a time to reflect on the rich histories and enduring contributions of Native American peoples.

To our ancestors who paved the way, those who walk with us today, and to the generations yet to come, we honor you today and every day.