The White Earth Nation's Pine Point community in Minnesota is advancing a community-owned resilience project with a 500-kilowatt solar array and battery storage to provide energy security and emergency backup power. Despite facing obstacles, including frozen federal grant programs, the project received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's ES4SE Program and the Minnesota Solar for Schools program. Led by climate justice developer 10Power, the project aims to provide clean, reliable power while also incorporating an Ojibwe-language educational program and job fair. The Pine Point Resilience Hub is expected to come online in early 2026, serving as a model for community-owned energy in northern Minnesota and connecting energy technology with cultural identity and language revitalization.
https://generation180.org/blog/solar-microgrid-brings-energy-security-to-white-earth-nation/