CEC and Partners host Energy Resiliency Conference on Clean Energy Opportunities for California Tribal Lands
The California Energy Commission (CEC), Strategic Growth Council, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and the California Natural Resources Agency, hosted a Tribal Energy Resilience Conference where state agencies and federal and tribal nations discussed pathways for increased clean energy funding, renewable energy incentives, and greater energy and climate change resiliency on tribal lands and resources.
During the conference, tribal members participated in an interactive activity where provide comments that would be combined into a letter to the seven generations, a tribal philosophy that decisions made by this current generation, drawing upon the wisdom of the last seven generations, should benefit children seven generations into the future.
Participants from more than 58 tribal nations attended the virtual May 19-20 event, which began with an opening invocation and prayer by Joseph James, chair of the Yurok Tribe who noted that it was a good day for tribes to gather and advance tribal energy.
During the keynote session, Governor Gavin Newsom said federal and state partners have a mutual responsibility to engage with tribal nations to support their decarbonization efforts.
“The issue that brings me to this conference is the notion that we’re all in this together,” he said. “We have a responsibility to be supportive of one another, and to work as true partners with tribal nations to make sure that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.”
CEC Chair David Hochschild recognized the progress California is making toward its clean energy goals.
“California is the incubator of clean energy policies, and what we do here spreads around the country and around the world,” Hochschild said.
He highlighted some of the state’s clean energy achievements such as building microgrids on tribal lands to support tribal sovereignty; discussions with federal, military, tribal, and local governments to develop offshore wind; exploring new ways to build out lithium recovery in the state; electrifying the transportation sector.
The conference featured several panels including one on female leaders advancing California tribal energy, which was moderated by Christina Snyder, Governor Newsom’s tribal advisor, and featuring CEC Commissioner Karen Douglas, CPUC Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, GC Green Energy President Elizabeth Perez, and Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians Attorney General Denise Turner Walsh.
Another panel highlighted CEC’s research efforts on energy resilience through its Electric Program Investment Charge program. Each year, more than $130 million in EPIC funding is invested in projects that advance the environmental sustainability, reliability, and affordability of the electric system.
During the conference, tribal members participated in an interactive activity where provide comments that would be combined into a letter to the seven generations, a tribal philosophy that decisions made by this current generation, drawing upon the wisdom of the last seven generations, should benefit children seven generations into the future.
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, chair of the Barbareno/Ventureno Band of Mission Indians, provided the closing invocation for the event.
