Tribes seek new funding paths after loss of federal clean energy support

Tribal nations are pursuing new financing strategies for clean energy projects after losing roughly $1.5 billion in federal support, according to reporting by Grist.

The funding loss followed passage of President Donald Trump’s tax bill, referred to in the report as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which stripped money previously earmarked for tribal renewable energy and climate resilience efforts. Grist reported that nearly 1,600 projects by tribal governments and Native entities lost some or all of their federal funding. In response, tribes are turning to philanthropy, low-interest loans and Native-led financing groups such as Huurav, a tribal energy financing organization created by the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Nonprofits including the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy are also helping fill the gap, while some tribes are seeking federal support for geothermal and transmission projects still available through existing programs.