Oweesta’s Solar for All Program

Welcome to the Oweesta Green Sovereignty site, a one-stop shop for updates, resources, and announcements related to Oweesta’s Solar for All and other Tribal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds! Oweesta, through its Solar for All program and partnerships across the landscape of Tribal clean energy, is dedicated to empowering Native communities towards energy sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and delivering savings to Native homes across the country. 

Oweesta’s $156 million Solar for All award is part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a $27 billion investment created by the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize clean energy and climate projects that reduce pollution across the country, with a special focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. This program aims to broaden access to affordable solar energy, energy efficiency, and resilient power supply. 

Announcements

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General

What is the Oweesta Solar for All program and who is eligible to participate?

The Oweesta Solar for All program was created when Oweesta was awarded $156 million from the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to fund the deployment of residential and community solar across the United States. The program will grant financial assistance to Tribes, Native CDFIs, and Native-missioned and Native-governed non-profits, including Alaskan Native Villages and Native Hawaiian Homestead Associations to deploy solar to eligible American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian households with the aim of delivering 20% savings on energy bills to these homes. Oweesta will support grant recipients, also called subrecipients, under the EPA Solar for All program with capacity building, program development and project reviews. For the first round of applications opening in June 2025, the Oweesta Solar for All program will prioritize projects that will be shovel ready by Fall 2025.  

What is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and Solar for All?

What is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)?

The GGRF is a program under the Inflation Reduction Act that funds clean energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on low-income and disadvantaged communities. 

What is Solar for All?

Solar for All is a $7 billion initiative under the GGRF to expand affordable solar energy access for low-income households. It funds residential and community solar projects, aiming to benefit over 900,000 households. Over $500 million of Solar for All funds have been directed toward Tribes. 

Oweesta’s goal is to serve 17,000 households with their Solar for All Award over the next 5 years.

What types of projects will be eligible for Solar for All assistance?

The Solar for All program supports projects aimed at expanding solar energy deployment for enrolled Tribal members, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Eligible projects include:

  • Residential rooftop solar: Installing solar panels on individual homes
  • Residential-serving community solar: Community solar projects under 5 MW that serve residential subscribers
  • Associated storage: Battery storage systems that work with the above solar installations 
  • Enabling upgrades: Necessary upgrades to support the above solar installations, such as electrical system improvements

What is the purpose of the Oweesta Solar for All funds?

The primary goals of the program are to: 

  • Lower energy costs by reducing reliance on traditional energy sources
  • Increase energy resilience through reliable solar power and battery storage
  • Promote environmental justice by ensuring equitable access to clean energy
  • Create job opportunities through workforce development in the solar energy sector

How can the Oweesta Solar for All funds be used?

Oweesta Solar for All financial assistance will be awarded to projects that demonstrate economic feasibility and sound design to complete solar installations in low income and disadvantaged areas. Projects must also look to leverage Inflation Reduction Act Investment Tax Credits and other funding as necessary to support the deployment, adoption, and continued operation and maintenance of solar assets.  Among other conditions of program funding, projects will need to generally maintain compliance with the rules of the Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (“2CFR”), Build America Buy America, and Davis Bacon and Related Acts, where applicable.
 
Funding will be available for participant stipends and clean energy workforce development activities such as training, curriculum development, etc. We seek to minimize the compliance and administrative burden of these activities through the use of a web-based application and project reporting tool.

What is the program’s timeline?

Tribe, CDFI, Nonprofit, and Vendor Registration
January 15, 2025
Tribes, CDFIs, and non-profits can register as subrecipients, and vendors can begin their registration and preferred vendor applications

Preferred Vendor List Available
March 1, 2025
Preferred vendor list is available on this website. Check back in March

Project Development and RFP Processes
January – June 2025
It’s recommended that subrecipients engage with vendors using their own RFP process

Project Applications Open
June 2025
Applications open. Review will be conducted on a rolling basis

Final and Contingent Offers Extended
Fall 2025
Offers are extended on a rolling basis to qualified projects

Monthly Project Reporting
Fall 2025
Compliance reporting and drawdown is available for approved projects

What is a subrecipient? What is a vendor?

Subrecipients

  • Federally recognized tribes
  • Alaskan Native Villages
  • Native Hawaiian Homestead Associations
  • Native CDFIs
  • Native-missioned and Native-governed non-profits

Subrecipients enter into award agreements with Oweesta and are responsible for meeting compliance requirements that flow down from EPA. These requirements, like with other federal funding programs, include:

  • Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (2 CFR)
  • Build America Buy America
  • Davis Bacon and Related Acts, where applicable.

NEPA compliance is not a requirement for Solar for All.

Vendors

Vendors may be for-profit or non-profit contractors or consultants with capabilities in:

  • Design and development
  • EPC (engineering procurement and construction)
  • Interconnection and permitting
  • Installation or supply of solar panels and batteries
  • Eligible home upgrades necessary for solar installation
  • Operations and maintenance

Vendors must comply with the following:

  • Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (2 CFR)
  • Subrecipient and federal procurement policies
  • Other program requirements

What is a SAM.gov registration/UEI?

The SAM.gov registration/UEI is a 12-character Unique Entity Identifier assigned to your entity by SAM.gov. This identifier is necessary for federal funding and contracting. To locate your number, use this tool – https://usfcr.com/search-sam-cage-duns/  

How do I find the SAM.gov expiry date?

The SAM.gov expiry date can be found in your SAM.gov account. It indicates when your registration needs to be renewed. 

What is a TERO Ordinance? 

A TERO (Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance) is a law enacted by a Tribe to ensure employment and contracting opportunities for tribal members. The subrecipient will need to indicate whether the Tribe, Alaskan Native Village, or Native Hawaiian Homestead being served has a TERO Ordinance. Speak with your TERO office to ensure they are aware of the goals of the program to support capacity building and workforce development for the community and the subrecipient.

Subrecipient Registration

How can I apply for funding or support through the Oweesta Solar for All program?

Interested participants can apply for funding or technical assistance by contacting Oweesta Corporation directly. The application process involves submitting necessary documentation and demonstrating the need for solar energy solutions. Detailed guidelines and assistance are available through Oweesta’s technical support team. Email Penny Wynn (Penny@Oweesta.org) or Don Sampson (Don@Oweesta.org) to start discussing your project. 

If my organization needs technical help such as scoping a solar project and collecting beneficiary energy consumption and cost data, can the Oweesta Solar for All program help us?

Yes, technical assistance is available. Oweesta’s technical assistance will support subrecipient program readiness, capacity building, project application review and feedback, identifying funding sources, and initial tax credit evaluation. Technical assistance awards (or subawards) may be available for high impact projects facing regulatory or utility-related barriers to deployment. 

Is there an exception to Davis Bacon (DBRA) on Tribal lands, or specific Tribal wage scales projects on Tribal lands must reference? 

Yes. Financial Assistance which serves end-users who meet the definition of Federally Recognized Tribal Entities when these Entities ultimately select the contractor(s) and execute the contract(s) for the construction work, as opposed to the Recipient or a contractor hired by the Recipient or Subrecipient.

What is a Federally Recognized Tribal Entity? 

A “Federally Recognized Tribal Entity” means:

  • any individual member of a Federally Recognized Tribe.
  • any for-profit business that has at least 51 percent of its equity ownership (or the equivalent in limited liability companies) by members of Federally Recognized Tribes.
  • any non-profit entity with at least 51 percent of its Board of Directors (i.e., Governing Board) comprised of members of Federally Recognized Tribes; or
  • any Federally Recognized Tribal government entity. Under this definition, any Federally Recognized Tribal Entity is included within the definition of Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities, regardless of where that entity is located (i.e., the entity may be located in areas outside of the CEJST land area dataset, including but not limited to tribal service areas or counties).

All Federally Recognized Tribal entities, which are considered disadvantaged regardless of whether a Federally Recognized Tribe has land, consistent with M-23-09 (memorandum dated as of January 27, 2023) and CEJST.

How will the program benefit our community economically?

The subrecipient’s solar program must be designed to deliver meaningful benefits to subrecipients and beneficiaries. These include: 

  • Household Savings: Delivering 20% savings on electricity bills for participating households
  • Equitable Access: expanding access to solar energy for a diverse range of households, ensuring that more people can benefit from clean energy
  • Resilience: increasing the resilience of power generation to help communities better withstand grid outages
  • Environmental Impact: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, contributing to a cleaner environment
  • Economic Benefits: Creating good quality jobs and stimulating local economies by unlocking new models for distributed solar energy revenue generation

What information do I need to provide for the primary and secondary contact?

The primary and secondary contacts of the subrecipient are project managers who are employees of the subrecipient authorized by the head of the subrecipient e.g. Tribal leader, CEO, etc. to represent the subrecipient in the Oweesta Solar for All program. You will need to provide the following details:  

  • Full name 
  • Title 
  • Name of the Lead Office/Entity 
  • Email address 
  • Phone Number 

What is required for the Letter/Tribal Resolution approving participation?

You will need to provide a letter or tribal resolution that approves your entity’s participation in the program or initiative. This document should be signed by the appropriate tribal authority and include the following details:

  • Tribal or organizational letterhead 
  • Name, title, and contact of the project manager
  • Delegation of authority to the project manager to represent the Tribe or organization
  • Name, title, and contact of the Tribe’s signatory, if different from the Project Manager
  • Signature of the head of the Tribe or organization

Are there any special considerations that affect procurement of energy consultants or contractors? 

Yes, there are several special considerations for procuring energy consultants or contractors for Solar for All projects: 

  • Procurement must follow 2 CFR 200 317. – 327 and other federal requirements including, Davis Bacon and Related Acts and the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) for using U.S.-sourced materials, where applicable.
  • Experience with Solar Projects: Select consultants and contractors with proven experience in solar energy projects, particularly those serving low-income and disadvantaged communities 
  • Technical Expertise: Ensure consultants and contractors have the technical expertise to handle the specific requirements of solar installations, including associated storage and enabling upgrades 
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Evaluate bids for cost-effectiveness while ensuring quality and compliance with all regulations 

Feel free to reach out if you’d like additional information or assistance with procuring and contracting with an energy contractor or consultant. Preferred vendors will be listed on this site by March 2025. 

Vendor Registration

What types of vendors are we looking to partner with? 

Oweesta seeks to support solar vendors working to develop and implement Tribal clean energy. Vendor types include: 

  • Design and Development Consultants
  • EPC Contractors
  • Equipment Suppliers
  • Interconnection and Permitting Consultants
  • Solar installers
  • Operations and maintenance contractors 

All vendors have to register within Oweesta’s program portal to access project application and technical assistance. Registration opens in January 2025. 

What is the Preferred Vendor Program? 

For vendors looking to be part of the solution for clean energy in Tribal communities, Oweesta is offering specialized support to address the unique challenges of deploying solar on Tribal lands. In addition to Solar for All technical assistance, training and resources, vendors who are onboarded will be featured on this website beginning March 2025 and can receive requests from subrecipients of the program directly. 

Key Requirements of a Preferred Vendor: 

  • Willingness to work within Tribal communities 
  • Willingness to comply with Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) policy. Tribes set their own TERO policies which are overseen and managed by the Tribe’s TERO. See FAQs about TERO and EEOC here for more information. 
  • Can maintain a supply chain of Build America Buy America compliant products for potential projects. 
  • Have knowledge of domestic content requirements for solar projects exceeding 1 MW capacity. 
  • Willingness and ability to comply with the Davis Bacon and Related Acts and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship requirements, if necessary.
  • Ability to complete required reporting metrics on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis as per EPA requirements. Oweesta will provide tools, training and resources to support this. 
  • Ability to provide operations and maintenance contracts for projects installed. 
  • Native-owned or MBE/ DBE vendors or vendors who will subcontract to Native-owned or MBE/DBE entities. 

Vendor registration opens in January 2025: 

  1. If you have been selected and contracted by a Tribe, Native CDFI, Native-governed or Native-missioned non-profit as a contractor to deploy solar please follow the steps below to register as a standard vendor:
    • Step 1: Complete standard vendor registration on Oweesta’s program portal 
    • Step 2: Inform the Tribe once your registration has been approved. The Tribe can then assign you to their project within the system.
  2. If you are interested in responding to requests for proposal (RFP) or requests for information (RFI) issued by a Tribe, Native CDFI, Native-governed or Native-missioned non-profit: 
    • Step 1: Register with the standard vendor process 
    • Step 2: Complete the preferred vendor application 
    • Step 3: Join the Solar for All preferred vendor list 
    • Step 4: Stay tuned for contracting opportunities and technical assistance related to eligible Solar for All projects

What is the difference between a standard vendor and a preferred vendor? 

Standard Vendor:

  • Basic registration on Oweesta’s portal
  • May or may not have a relationship with a Tribe or Native organization
  • Can be matched to a project by the subrecipient

Standard Vendors are vendors contracted by the subrecipient who have not completed the Preferred Vendor application process. 

Preferred Vendor:

  • Application process and compliance checks 
  • Receives specialized support, training, and resources 
  • Featured on the program’s website and can get direct requests 

Preferred vendors have demonstrated high standards of compliance and will receive direct support, in preparation for Solar for All projects. 

What types of products and services are needed for Solar for All projects? 

For Solar for All projects, the necessary products and services include: 

Build America Buy America Certified Products: 

  • Solar Panels: Essential for capturing solar energy. 
  • Inverters: Convert the captured solar energy into usable electricity 
  • Battery Storage: Stores excess energy for later use 

Services: 

  • Thoughtful and thorough design and development of projects 
  • Train local community members in clean energy development activities such as project management, installation, operations and maintenance 
  • Professional installation to ensure optimal performance and safety 
  • Comply with domestic content requirements and meet quality standards 
  • Assess site feasibility and complete upgrades necessary to integrate the solar energy system with the existing power grid 

How can potential partners and contractors who work with Oweesta Solar for All subrecipients support and be part of the program? 

Potential partners and contractors can support and be part the program by: 

  • Follow Procurement Process: Contractors and paid partners must follow procurement in compliance with the Tribe or organization’s policies and 2 CFR to be eligible
  • Collaborative Planning: Work with community leaders and beneficiaries to identify and achieve energy sovereignty and capacity building goals central to the Solar for All Program 
  • Public-Private Partnerships: Engage in partnerships to support infrastructure, environmental, and economic initiatives and leverage the program to make meaningful transformation for the community 
  • Education and Training: Support educational initiatives to build a skilled workforce that may include inspectors, project managers, and installers 
  • Policy Advocacy: In negotiating with utilities and other stakeholders, involve the designated project manager and ensure that the program upholds the communities’ goals of Tribal sovereignty and self-determination 

What does Davis Bacon compliance include? 

Davis-Bacon compliance includes several key requirements for contractors and subcontractors working on federally funded or assisted construction projects: 

  • Prevailing Wages: Contractors must pay laborers and mechanics at least the locally prevailing wages (including fringe benefits) for the type of work performed
  • Wage Determinations: The prevailing wages are determined based on wages paid to similar workers in the area and must be included in the contract
  • Certified Payroll: Contractors must submit weekly certified payroll records to the contracting agency 
  • Posting Requirements: The applicable wage determination and Davis-Bacon poster must be posted at the work site in a prominent and accessible place
  • Apprentices: Apprentices can be paid less than the prevailing wage only if they are registered in an approved apprenticeship program
  • Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act: Prohibits a contractor or subcontractor from inducing an employee into giving up and part of compensation to which he or she is entitled
  • Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act: Requires overtime wages to be paid for over 40 hours per week, under contracts in excess of $100k