Tribal households in the U.S. face energy costs 28% higher than average and more frequent outages, with many lacking electricity altogether. Cody Two Bears, CEO of Indigenized Energy, is spearheading community-based approaches that put control and solutions in tribal hands, building a blueprint for the future of distributed, sustainable energy.
- Tribal households pay more and suffer frequent outages.
- Indigenized Energy builds solar projects tailored to tribal needs.
- Community-led microgrids foster energy independence and resilience.
What happened
Tribal communities across the United States experience an energy burden that exceeds the national average by 28%, with many facing six and a half times more power outages each year. Approximately 17,000 tribal homes remain without any electrical service, highlighting the urgent need for reliable energy solutions. Responding to this challenge, Cody Two Bears, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and founder of Indigenized Energy, has been advancing projects that allow Indigenous communities to build their own energy infrastructure on their own terms.
Since its founding in 2017, Indigenized Energy has spearheaded North Dakota’s largest solar farm and helped form the Tribal Renewable Energy Coalition, which secured $136 million in funding via the EPA’s Solar for All program. Although the program ended abruptly in 2025 without full reimbursements, the organization continues its work, focusing on creating community-scale, off-grid systems that power critical facilities such as the Northern Cheyenne buffalo program. These efforts represent a shift from dependency toward tribal energy sovereignty.
Why it feels good
Indigenized Energy’s approach empowers tribal communities by encouraging energy independence through practical, scalable projects that respect cultural and geographic realities. By treating solar investments like mainstream financial decisions—as done by farmers and residents in red states like North Dakota—these projects avoid partisan labeling and instead focus on economic and reliability benefits. This shifts the narrative from charity to innovation and resilience.
The progress also challenges the conventional clean energy conversation, which usually centers on urban and coastal areas with easier access to capital, while rural and Indigenous communities are often overlooked. Instead, tribal efforts serve as testbeds and pioneers for the community-focused energy grids of the future, providing blueprints that other regions are now starting to emulate.
What to enjoy or watch next
To dive deeper into these groundbreaking projects and learn about workforce training initiatives, visit Indigenized Energy’s website at 4Indigenized.energy. Meanwhile, the upcoming People of the Sun gathering from September 16–18, 2026, on the Standing Rock Reservation will celebrate a decade since the NoDAPL protests. This event brings together tribal leaders, energy experts, artists, and musicians in a vibrant reflection on community power and sustainability.
As attention increases on clean energy transitions and resilient infrastructure, keep an eye on tribal-led microgrid innovations, especially in remote regions where grid extension is difficult. These developments showcase practical solutions for delivering reliable energy while honoring Indigenous leadership and sovereignty.