Alpine, California. – September 13, 2024 – Indian Energy, LLC (IE), a Southern California based microgrid developer, systems integrator, owner and operator; announced today the financial close of the Viejas Enterprise Microgrid, which is comprised of a 15MWdc carport solar array and 70MWh of non-lithium long duration energy storage. Located on the lands of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, in Alpine, California, this project represents the largest California Energy Commission (CEC) grant for a tribal project of $43.3 Million and the first closed loan guarantee through the Tribal Energy Financing Program from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) of $72.8 Million.
“The closing of this syndicated financial transaction has not gone without its challenges and is a testament to the commitment of all the parties involved to make this project a success for the Viejas and Indian Country,” said Allen G. Cadreau, CEO of Indian Energy.
The financial package was developed and executed through the coordination between the Viejas, Indian Energy, the California Energy Commission (CEC), the DOE, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance (a subsidiary of U.S. Bank) and Starbucks as tax equity co-investors.
Wahleah Johns, Director of the DOE Office of Indian Energy, stated in her announcement of the conditional commitment at RES2024, “This is an amazing partnership of multiple tribes to develop and help finance this program. It is incredible to see tribes investing in other tribes and I think this is an amazing model and speaks to energy sovereignty.”
Darren Van’t Hof, who serves as Impact Finance’s managing director of environmental finance, said “U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance is excited to partner with Indian Energy and the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, an indigenous community dedicated to energy independence. We appreciate the collaboration among all project participants and look forward to supporting the construction and completion of this impactful investment.”
Regarding the U.S. Bancorp and Starbucks co-investment, Impact Finance Senior Vice President of Syndications Chris Roetheli said, “We’re grateful for the trust that Starbucks placed in us to originate, structure, underwrite and close this highly impactful investment. Collaborations such as this highlight our approach to interconnected client management, and we’re excited to continue introducing our tax credit investment offerings to additional bank clients.”
“We’re proud to support this project, which brings clean energy to the Viejas Band community to help accelerate energy independence,” said Michael Kobori, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks. “Together with our partners across public and private sectors, we believe we can build a great business that scales for good, to help ensure a sustainable future for communities that have not historically had access to renewable energy.”
Indian Energy has enlisted two supporting tribal nations, Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, as co-owners in the project company. This is in alignment with Indian Energy’s vision to unite Indian Country to achieve energy independence and help solve the national energy grid crisis. Both tribes have been instrumental in the development of Indian Energy. Austin Lowes, Chairman of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians said, “The Tribe invested in Indian Energy to diversify revenue streams, support tribal member owned businesses, and facilitate energy development within Indian Country, including our own tribal lands.”
Another key contribution to the success of this project was our finance partners which include the Viejas, BlackRock Impact Opportunities, and Enhanced Capital. These partners brought bridge financing at critical junctures during the project to enable Indian Energy to continue engineering, procurement, and construction, while working through the various challenges of being the first project through the DOE’s LPO Tribal Energy Financing Program. “BlackRock Impact Opportunities commitment as part of the first institutional investors in the project has been instrumental in catalyzing the project’s growth and brought tremendous value and opportunity to Indian Energy and Indian Country as a whole,” said Henry Boulley, COO of Indian Energy. He added, “This is a monumental first-of-its-kind effort for Indian Country, and we are proud of this team for making it happen. The innovative leadership of the Viejas Tribal Council has made this possible and we continue to stand with the Tribe as we execute on our commitments.”
Chairman John Christman of the Viejas said, “This solar microgrid project will enable us to create a reliable and sustainable source of clean energy for our gaming, hospitality, and retail operations going forward. In turn, the associated non-lithium battery system supports the environmental protection and cultural stewardship of our ancestral land, thereby insuring the vibrant future of our children.”
Joseph Acevedo, Managing Director at BlackRock Impact Opportunities said, “We are proud to partner with Indian Energy as they execute on their ambitious vision of bringing affordable and reliable renewable energy to Indian Country. The success of the Viejas microgrid serves as a powerful proof point of their ability to leverage cutting edge technology, inclusive development practices, and public private partnerships to bring this vision into reality.”
“The CEC’s support with financial, technical, budgetary, legal, and interagency/political leverage has made it possible for Indian Energy to prove its vision for Indian Country. Together, we have taken the first steps in helping Native Americans realize the benefits of our collective efforts and with the CEC’s ongoing support we will create long-term benefits for our communities,” said Allen G. Cadreau.
David Hochschild, California Energy Commission Chair said, “The California Energy Commission is proud to support this unique project with the largest grant we have ever provided to a tribal community. Not only will it support critical operations for the Tribe during wildfire-driven power outages, but it can also benefit the statewide grid in the event of emergencies while supporting innovation and investment in the long-duration storage industry as this new resource becomes fully commercialized.”
“Indian Energy is committed to developing holistic and sustainable opportunities so that we can maintain a traditional way of life that provides for our seventh generation,” said Allen J Cadreau, VP of Engineering at Indian Energy and Program Manager for the Viejas Enterprise Microgrid. The Viejas Enterprise Microgrid is an example of a nationwide Native American community taking action to enact sovereignty and achieve energy independence, levelized operating costs, train Native American workforces, and secure long-term revenue streams.
“This project paves the way for North American Indigenous Nations to have agency in the fight against climate change and consequences resulting from intense heat, wildfires, energy shortages, and equity challenges that indigenous communities face,” said Dr. Craig Reiter, the General Manager of Maada’oozh and the Chief Sustainability Officer for The Indian Energy Group. “Tribes are critical in mitigating these negative impacts through deep decarbonization efforts that utilize incentives and programs from the States and Federal governments. This is a key component of Indian Energy’s vision for Indian Country throughout North America,” added Reiter.
“The ongoing support and collaboration from the Viejas, the CEC, DOE, and all our partners will continue to result in more positive impacts for Indian Country, the State of California, the United States, and North American Continental Indigenous People. We are leading the charge to make long-lasting transformational changes in the energy industry, financial institutions, and the government for the communities that need it most. Indian Energy is charting the way for more Tribes to participate and benefit from the opportunities available to Indian Country,” said Nicole Reiter, VP of Development and Tribal Liaison for Indian Energy.
“When fully operational in 2025, the Viejas Enterprise Microgrid will have the largest single location solar carport PV system in the United States, and the largest behind the meter non-lithium energy storage system in California, forming the largest behind the meter solution within the United States,” said Jessica Cadreau, VP of Asset Management for Indian Energy.
For Press Inquiries and Investment Opportunities, please contact:
Nicole Reiter, VP of Development, Indian Energy (ncreiter@indianenergy.com)
About Viejas Enterprise Microgrid Project:
The Viejas Enterprise Microgrid is comprised of a 15MWdc carport solar array and 70MWh of non-lithium long duration energy storage (10 MWh of Invinity Vanadium Flow Battery & 60MWh of Eos Aqueous Zinc Battery located on the lands of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, in Alpine, California. The Viejas Microgrid project will provide the Viejas Band with reliable and resilient utility-scale renewable energy generation and storage infrastructure for continuity of operations on various commercial enterprises. When complete, the project will allow the Tribe to benefit from a lower cost of energy, allowing additional resources to be redirected toward investments by the Tribe in infrastructure maintenance, operation of the fire department, Tribal culture and educational programs, and other Tribal member services. The project is expected to create 250 construction jobs and eight permanent operations jobs, including prioritizing Tribal-, minority-, and veteran-owned contractors.
About Indian Energy (IE):
100% Native American Indian-owned and operated, Indian Energy is committed to identifying and developing opportunities for ensuring tribal energy sovereignty; self-sufficiency and future long-term revenue streams that provide a means to maintain the traditional indigenous way of life and provide for our seventh generation. IE is in the business of developing, operating, and monetizing microgrids for Indian Country, the Department of Defense (DoD), and other organizations seeking energy sovereignty.
IE was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Anaheim, CA with satellite offices throughout Southern California and Mexico. Since 2020, IE has been awarded $53MM in California Energy Commission grants to demonstrate non-lithium-based energy storage technologies on both Department of Defense installations and federally recognized Tribal Nations lands. IE has 4 GW of renewable generation and 6 GWh of energy storage currently in development.
Indian Energy has a Cooperative Research & Development Agreements (CRADA) agreement and is currently working with NAVFAC EXWC on the Rapid Integration Commercialization Unit (RICU) on MCAS Miramar Base. The RICU is a living laboratory for the testing and validation of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) technologies. Indian Energy designed, built, and operates the RICU in partnership with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and NAVFAC EXWC.
Additionally, Indian Energy partnered with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians to operate Chippewa Sustainable Solutions, Inc (CSS), which is an approved Tribal 8(a) through the U.S. Small Business Administration. CSS provides energy resiliency and energy security solutions to the United States Government and its Agencies through the unique and powerful direct award capabilities of the 8(a) Program. For more information, please visit www.indianenergy.com
About Maada’oozh:
Maada’oozh is a Native American-owned distribution, logistics, and maintenance company, and part of The Indian Energy Group. Maada’oozh manages a sustainable supply chain to ensure that we provide eco-friendly products and services to our customer. We promote Social and Environmental Justice by developing projects that benefit the people and communities where the projects are built. We ensure fair trade and labor practices, sustainably sourced materials, compliance with Buy America – Build America, workforce development, carbon-reduction measures, and much more. Maada’oozh has channel partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers that provide cost-effective technology solutions to Indian Country and the Military. Maada’oozh is part of The Indian Energy Group. For more information, please visit www.maadaoozh.com
Maada’oozh has worked in partnership with the Viejas Band and EVPassport to development the largest single location EV Charging Superhub in North America. The Viejas’ EV Charging Center has 410 L2 chargers / 16 DC Fast chargers and went online in August 2024.
For EV and Energy Procurement, please contact:
Craig Reiter, General Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, Maada’oozh and The Indian Energy Group (csreiter@maadaoozh.com)