Colville Tribes target power outages through innovative microgrid partnership with OATI

Colville Tribes has partnered with OATI in a landmark move toward true energy sovereignty. This initiative, which garnered coverage from Northwest Public Broadcasting, Wenatchee World, POWER Magazine, Microgrid Knowledge, and more, directly addresses critical power reliability, sustainability, and economic issues while empowering tribal communities with greater independence.

Inspired by OATI’s proven microgrid solutions in other disaster-prone regions, Colville tribal leaders prioritized resilient infrastructure. Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson highlighted the dual goal: “Our hope is that this microgrid technology will not only keep our lights on but will also position us for new economic opportunities.”

Four new microgrid installations, Microgrid Knowledge reported, are set to provide long-term energy independence for the reservation’s roughly 7,300 residents. The initial plan will transform the tribal headquarters campus into a crucial resiliency hub, ensuring continuous power for critical services like emergency operations, food distribution, and essential government functions.

Press Coverage:

• Power outages are getting worse on Colville Tribe homelands. New microgrids could be a big part of the solution: NORTHWEST PUBLIC BROADCASTING
• Colville Tribes to see energy-related capital improvement projects: The Wenatchee World
• Colville Tribes, OATI Partner on Microgrid Program: POWER Magazine
• Colville Tribes, OATI Partner on Microgrid Program