Tribal Energy Solutions

??Tribal Energy Solutions board member spotlight?? Vice Chairman Kenneth Ahmann is the COO of Colusa Indian Energy, a 100% Tribally owned microgrid and cogeneration power plant developer. Ken has worked in Indian Country for two decades as the creator and Director of the Tribal Utility Authority for the Colusa Indian Community Council. He is an evangelist for Tribal energy sovereignty who seeks to help empower Tribes from coast to coast to hold control of their own energy futures. Ken is a member of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Developer Advisory Council, the California Tribal Solar for All Consortium board, and the Colusa Indian Community’s Economic Development Corporation board. Ken is a San Diego State University alum with degrees in Political Science, Business Administration, and Interdisciplinary Studies, and has numerous energy industry certifications. His extensive experience includes constructing, operating, and managing over 50 cogeneration microgrids across the country.

??Tribal Energy Solutions board member spotlight?? Professor Lawrence Kahn is admitted to the bars of New York and New Jersey and holds Proctor Member status with The Maritime Law Association of the United States, where he has held leadership roles and frequently presented scholarly work. He has also contributed to the International Bar Association's Maritime and Transport Law Committee. As an Adjunct Professor at Tulane University Law School, Larry is at the forefront of exploring the laws and policies related to utility vegetation management, a field that intersects with energy and environmental law. Through the Utility Vegetation Management Institute, Tulane has become a leading center for research and advocacy in this area, promoting environmental protection, energy reliability, and worker safety. Larry and his law students are actively working on Indigenous issues related to energy infrastructure on tribal lands. Together, they address the unique regulatory and environmental challenges faced by Indigenous communities, focusing on approaches that respect tribal sovereignty, protect natural resources, and ensure reliable access to energy. In 2024, Larry was honored with the Education Award at the 25th annual Trees & Utilities Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Utility Arborist Association.

?? Tribal Energy Solutions board member spotlight ?? Our Secretary-Treasurer Eric Brown was formerly the Supervising Northern Program Manager for Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Electric Transmission Vegetation Management Program. During his 20 years with PG&E (8 as a contractor), he held roles of increasing responsibility in both Electric Transmission, and Distribution. Eric and colleagues were awarded (2) Richard A. Clarke Champion awards for Environmental Leadership; American River Pollinator Partnership Project (2014) and Electric Transmission Right-of-Way Stewardship Accreditation (2015). Eric served as President of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) in 2019/20; President Elect 2018/19, Vice President in 2017, and has been a Western Region Representative since 2015. Eric has been actively involved in the North American Transmission Forum (NATF) since 2009, leading and participating in Vegetation Management Peer Reviews across North America. Eric is currently on the NATF Vegetation Management Core Team, Reliability Action Response (RAT), and Co-Chairs the NATF Vegetation Management Practices Team. Under invite, Eric participated as a subject matter expert on the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Integrated Vegetation Management Project Guidance Team in 2015. Since 2017, he has served as Director for Eldorado County Fire Safe Council, where he contributes as a utility representative. Eric has a B.S. in Natural Resource Management with emphasis in Forestry and Range Management from University of Nevada-Reno (1998). He is a Certified Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Also recently Eric was invited to represent statewide California Publicly Owned Utilities on the newly established (2024) Wildfire Forecast & Threat Intelligence Integration Center Eric has over 28 years of experience working in the Vegetation Management industry, which includes areas of industrial forestry, range management, and utility forestry respectively.

Tribal Energy Solutions board member spotlight: Jeremy Hayward (Chairman) serves as the President of Redding Rancheria Economic Development Corp (RREDCO), where his astute leadership has been evident over the past 4 years, alongside his decade-long commitment to his Tribe. With a bachelor’s degree in business, Jeremy has chaired the investment committee and served as a dedicated board member for over ten years. Beyond his professional achievements, he is a devoted husband to Jennifer and a caring father of two. Jeremy's passion for sustainability is reflected in his focus on green energy projects, particularly in biomass to hydrogen and solar initiatives for the past 3 years. He has also contributed significantly to tribal governance, serving on the tribal council for 4 years and actively supporting non-profit organizations benefiting tribal communities without electricity. Jeremy's journey in tribal service began at the age of 14, and he is widely recognized for his strong leadership, forward-thinking objectives, and ability to unite people toward shaping a better future for the next seven generations.

For Tribal Nations and Native communities impacted by the Federal Funding Freeze this week. The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has created a bipartisan oversight email to track how any freeze on federal funding is impacting Tribal Nations and Native communities. If your community or Nation is affected, please share your experiences and concerns by contacting the bipartisan inbox: [email protected]. Your personal information will be kept confidential, but please include in your response the name of the federal agency and the program(s) affected. Yakoke fehna hoke and please share with your networks!

??New Funding Alert?? The Office of Indian Energy | U.S. Department of Energy has up to $5M available for your Tribe’s energy infrastructure project coming soon! Reach out to [email protected] for more information.

Deadline approaching ?? We are accepting applications for a $25M to support Tribal clean energy planning & development. Apply by Jan. 23, 2025 >> https://bit.ly/3AyNWwX

Tribal Energy Solutions non-profit board member spotlight: Deenise Becenti, a member of the Navajo Nation, serves as the Government and Public Affairs Manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), the largest multi-utility owned and operated by an American Indian tribe. A graduate of the University of New Mexico with a BFA, Deenise began her career as a multimedia journalist, driven by a passion to share the stories of her people. With 25 years of dedicated service at NTUA, she has championed communication efforts to address and bring visibility to the utility needs of the Navajo Nation. Her work includes spearheading initiatives like Light Up Navajo, a humanitarian program that seeks to provide electricity to homes currently without access, underscoring her commitment to improving infrastructure for her community.

??New Funding Alert?? FEMA has a $50M Tribal set-aside for energy resiliency planning and project scoping. Reach out to [email protected] for more details!

The wildfires in Los Angeles are nothing short of catastrophic and our hearts and thoughts are with all of those affected. As a result of the high winds and ongoing destruction, 1/4 million people are without power. This nightmare scenario offers a stark reminder of Tribes’ inability to rely on the big utility companies to keep them online, especially during emergencies like this. If you work for or know of a Tribe facing urgent power needs, due to this disaster, please contact Colusa Indian Energy for free mobile emergency power assistance.