Oceti Sakowin Solve Fellowship

Selected

Rock Solar Community Offset Project

Renewable energy workforce development production for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Team Lead

Joseph McNeil

Solution Summary

The communities of Standing Rock pay some of the highest electricity costs in North and South Dakota. To solve the problem of affordable power, this project will build community offset solar power plants for reservation communities, providing up to 150 kilowatts of energy, with multiple pods for each community.

By reducing the cost of energy, these plants will allow residents to afford food, medication, clothes, housing, and an overall better quality of life while also providing hope and inspiration for generationally depressed communities.

The plans for this project include a pilot project for the Porcupine community in North Dakota with an initial capacity of 150 kilowatts.

Market Opportunity

  • With high winds and solar power, there’s substantial renewable energy potential on Standing Rock.

  • System access can be sold to those who want more power or to those outside the initial system.

Organization Goals

  • Use grant funding to start and move into a commercial production and installation of solar systems for community use

  • Expand to Porcupine, Cannonball, McLaughlin, and Little Eagle towns

Partnerships

  • Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative, Inc.

  • Tribal Council

  • SolarCity

Partnership Goals

  • Business plan support for solar manufacturing

  • Impact measurement validation and support

  • Organizational mentorship

  • Technology mentorship

  • Investment from solar panel providers

Fellow Team

Organization Type: 

Hybrid

Headquarters: 

Fort Yates, ND, USA

Project Stage: 

Prototype

Working in: 

Standing Rock, ND, USA

Team Members: 

5

Website:

http://standingrockdevelopment.com/

Solution Team:

  • Joseph McNeil President, Standing Rock Development Corporation

Partner Challenges

Developing Standing Rock's Renewable Energy Workforce

Fellow Rock Solar Community Offset Project received a $100,000 grant from the Bush Foundation in 2020 to develop a renewable energy workforce across the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Partner Challenges

Developing Standing Rock's Renewable Energy Workforce

Fellow Rock Solar Community Offset Project, which develops a renewable energy workforce across the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, received a $10,000 grant from Solve in 2018 for being selected as an Oceti Sakowin Solve Fellow.

 
 
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