USDA gives Yurok Tribe $1.4 million to bring solar power to the reservation

June 29, 2022

KLAMATH, Calif. — Today, the Yurok Tribe received a $1.4 million grant to bring solar power to residents who don’t have access to grid electricity.

This money will help the tribe buy portable solar units that will provide electricity for roughly 50 homes.

The grant is funded by the USDA Rural Development program, which seeks to help improve the quality of life and economic conditions in rural communities. And as fuel costs hit record highs in California, tribal residents living off the grid are struggling to keep the power on.

The Pecwan District has the one of reservation’s highest percentages off-grid residents on the Yurok Reservation. Mindy Natt, who represents the district said the grant could not have come at a better time.

“The portable solar units will take a tremendous amount of financial strain off of our families and our elders in the Pecwan/Weitchpec area,” Natt said in a statement. “Many of our elders are on a fixed income and due to the spike in gas prices they are having a hard time paying for fuel to keep their generators running for only a few hours each day.”

Lack of grid electricity has only exacerbated the high unemployment rate on the upriver half of the reservation according to a press release sent out by the Tribe. Due to funding constraints, earlier attempts in 2018 to add more powerlines along State Highway 169, only provided limited power to residents in the Pecwan area.

Yurok Tribal Chairman Joseph James thanked the USDA for investing in the tribe and said the solar devices will bring electricity to some people who have never had a dependable power source. He also added that the project aligned with tribal goals to create a more environmentally sustainable community.

North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman also championed the investment.

“This investment in some of the most rural tribal areas of my congressional district is an excellent way to bring power to chronically underserved people through resilient and clean solar energy,” Huffman said. “I’m thankful that the USDA recognized this significant need for the Yurok Tribe.”

Michael Gerace, the Yurok Planning and Community Development Department Director, said the long-term plan is to bring stable power to all reservation residents.

The tribe is currently working to purchase the solar units and will make an announcement when they are ready for distribution.


By:  CARLY WIPF
Source: KRCR