Hualapai Tribe

Population: 1,335

Size: 1,604 sq. mi.

Median Household Income: $34,375

The Hualapai Tribe has been working to pursue utility-scale wind and solar development for several years. The tribe received U.S. Department of Energy funding for resource and feasibility assessment through the Tribal Energy Program in 2009-2010. The tribe also received funding through the 2012 DOE START program to pursue developing a utility-scale wind project.

The Tribe is pursuing 170 MW of wind development at Buck and Doe on Reservation land. The Tribal Council has discussed the possibility of partnering with PNE Wind of Germany to lease land for the wind development project. The tribe is considering proposing the wind development project for the Southern California Public Power Authority PPA request due December 31, 2013.

The tribe is has filed an interconnection application and is performing a feasibility study to use the WAPA Liberty-Mead 345 kV transmission line for selling generation from the 170 MW of wind plus solar capacity. The tribe is also preparing an environmental impact report for its own Tribal Historic Preservation Office. The tribe has performed avian surveys and other environmental studies.

In 2010, the tribe also received funding from the BIA Energy and Mineral Development Program for a solar feasibility study. This project identified potential sites for 100-MW solar projects, and several options for an array of up to 1 MW at Grand Canyon West. As a result of this analysis, the tribe is pursuing 100-150 MW of solar PV development at Nelson or Clay Springs.

The tribal planning and economic development office leads renewable energy development, but the tribe has prioritized the development of its own utility authority. The tribe received support from the U.S. DOE Tribal Energy Program in 2005 for the establishment of a utility authority to provide service first at Grand Canyon West and then for the remainder of the reservation.

The tribe has some distributed solar capacity as well. There is a 34kW solar PV array at Grand Canyon West, which according to tribal representatives, does not function due to poor maintenance. There is also a new 19kW solar PV array at the school in Peach Springs.

This information was gathered from conversations with tribal representatives. The census data was found online and represents 2010 figures.

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