Nations, Inc. · Episode 6 of 10 · 21 min
Power to the Nations: Tribes Become Energy Owners
Some tribes own energy companies rather than just leasing land. The Southern Ute Growth Fund turned gas royalties into a multibillion-dollar conglomerate, while the Navajo Nation, Red Lake and Blue Lake Rancheria pursue solar and microgrids. The MHA Nation's Bakken oil wealth is presented as real money tangled in lawsuits and internal conflict.
Who's who
- Robert BlakeSolar project leader behind Red Lake's solar development
Where it happens
- Southern Ute Indian Reservation, ColoradoTribe that built the Growth Fund from gas royalties
- Navajo Nation+1 more episodeCoal-to-solar transition after the Navajo Generating Station closed
- Red Lake Nation, MinnesotaSite of the Makwa/Mawka Solar Array
- Blue Lake Rancheria, CaliforniaSolar-plus-storage microgrid that stayed on during shutoffs
- Fort Berthold Reservation, North DakotaMHA Nation's Bakken oil wealth and disputes
Timeline
- 1992Red Willow Production Company formed as the Southern Ute oil-and-gas arm
- 2000Southern Ute Growth Fund formalized as the tribe's investment vehicle
- July 2014Red Willow's roughly $2 billion Delta House Gulf of Mexico facility installed
- 2019Navajo Generating Station closes; Blue Lake's microgrid keeps a shelter running during power shutoffs
- May 2026Groundbreaking for Red Lake's Makwa/Mawka Solar Array
Still debated
Southern Ute total assets are undisclosed, and an older $4 billion figure is outdated. The MHA Nation's oil wealth is contested, split by a North Dakota tax lawsuit and an internal referendum, and the Navajo solar program is small against the need.