Tribal Renewable Energy Workshops a Success

Trees, Water & People (TWP) partnered with Lakota Solar Enterprises (LSE), headed by Henry Red Cloud, and recently presented a solar heating training and demonstration on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

The workshop on January 8th, was the culmination of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s Little Thunder Clean Energy Education Partnership (CEEP), which began in 2005 with the goal of demonstrating small-scale renewable energy approaches and integrating them into tribal housing policy.

In 2007, TWP and LSE held a conference on Rosebud with the other CEEP members, which included interactive workshops in which participants took part in the installations of the solar electric system and a small wind turbine.

TWP and LSE continued the Little Thunder CEEP project by installing solar heating systems and “energyscape” wind-break and shade trees at the Rosebud Veterans’ Homeless Shelter and at four additional family homes. These “demonstration” homes have seen positive results, with one household reporting a 25% decrease in their heating bill compared to the previous winter.

TWP, LSE and leaders on the Rosebud Reservation are enthusiastic about expanding this partnership and building on the success of the Little Thunder CEEP project.