Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and five colleagues urged top Senate budget negotiators to fund a federal loan program that would help create jobs and ensure access to reliable energy on tribal lands in Minnesota and across the country.
The Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program (TIELGP) will help bring power to the most remote parts of Indian Country by providing loan guarantees to tribes and tribal organizations to support electricity generation projects. But despite being authorized a decade ago, the program has yet to receive any funding. The bipartisan letter, also sent by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), called on budget negotiators to provide $11 million for the Department of Energy program, which would help more than $50 million worth of projects get off the ground. TIELGP not only helps provide reliable and resilient energy, it also supports high-quality, good-paying jobs and promotes economic growth in Indian Country.
"There is great need and great potential for electricity projects on tribal lands," said Sen. Franken. "But unfortunately, a key program to help support more of these projects has sat unfunded for the past decade. That's why I'm urging Senate budget negotiators to fund the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program this year. It will help stimulate economic growth, provide dependable energy, and improve the standard of living for tribal communities in Minnesota and across the country."
Sen. Franken, a member of the Senate Energy Committee and Senate Indian Affairs Committee, is a strong supporter of energy investments in Indian Country. By encouraging borrowers to cooperate with private entities--such as utility companies--the program will leverage private investment with local needs. The Department of Energy expects strong interest from borrowers who deploy the loan.