Tribal Resources

At a Glance

BPA offers LIEE direct and non-competitive grants to tribal governments. Tribal LIEE grants fund the same energy-efficiency technologies as the state grant program, but funds are allocated directly to the tribe in a government-to-government partnership. This allows the tribe to manage the staffing, community outreach and scale of the program to best meet the needs of the tribe.

Approximately 8 to12 grants are distributed on an annual basis with tribal governments across service territory. Tribes are encouraged to apply for grant funding by January of each year, but tribes can apply for grants throughout the year as funding is available.

Grant Qualifications

Funding for the State and Tribal LIEE grant program budget is approximately $6 million per year and is negotiated every two years. The tribal set-aside budget is 10% of the overall LIEE grant budget. Tribal grant budgets and performance periods can vary depending on the needs of the tribe and can be used for a variety of program options. There is no minimum or maximum grant budget BPA will award, but it is dependent on the number of tribal grant applications submitted in a fiscal year.

Baseline household eligibility to receive tribal grant funding:

• Income Qualified: Tribes may follow general income guidelines or set their own with BPA approval.
• Heat source: Must have electric heat as their primary heat source for most measures, though it does not have to be working. If installing efficient appliances or lighting, the primary heat source can be any fuel type.
• Must be occupied by a member of a federally recognized tribe.
• Must receive electricity from a BPA Customer Utility (BPA Customer Utilities; Tribal Customer Service Areas Map)