The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will deploy multiple microgrids to enhance energy reliability and resiliency in an effort to achieve energy sovereignty. The Tribes, along with Open Access Technology International, on November 12 announced a landmark collaboration to advance tribal energy sovereignty and resilience through the siting of microgrids across the reservation in Washington state.
The program represents a significant step toward improving reliability, reducing outages, and providing long-term energy independence for the Colville Tribes, which is governed by four legislative districts: Omak, Nespelem, Keller, and Inchelium. The initiative is backed by federal and state grant awards and addresses vulnerabilities such as winter storm disruptions and wildfire risks.
The Colville Tribes microgrid program is rooted in the principle of energy sovereignty—the right of tribes to produce, deliver, and manage energy on their own lands. With the Colville Reservation served by multiple utilities offering varied levels of service, the ability to self-generate electricity provides resiliency and reliability for vulnerable communities and ensures critical services—including healthcare, commerce, and housing—remain powered during outages. Colville Tribes may also leverage the microgrids to offer additional grid benefits to local utilities and/or engage in energy markets as they evolve and grow.
The Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Jarred-Michael Erickson, said, “Since the Colville Reservation is in a remote location, subject to natural events like winter storms and fires, it has always been difficult for us to sustain a reliable supply of power. Our hope is that this microgrid technology will not only keep our lights on, but will also position us for new economic opportunities.”
Comprehensive Microgrid Development
OATI is delivering professional project design and development services, hardware, and its advanced GridMind platform to support the microgrids through resource management and market integration. Planned sites include:
- Nespelem HQ Campus (Lucy F. Covington Government Center): Rooftop solar PV, battery energy storage, EV charging, and microgrid controls, with an expansion to create a full campus resiliency hub.
- Paschal Sherman Indian School (PSIS) Community: Microgrid design to support education and community resiliency.
- Keller and Inchelium Districts: Additional distributed energy resources and microgrid infrastructure for local resilience.
Future expansions envision integration with gaming operations and potential data centers, supported by tribal-owned utility and telecom infrastructure.
“OATI is proud to support the Colville Tribes in creating a resilient and sovereign energy future,” said Sasan Mokhtari, president & CEO of OATI. “We’re seeing tremendous interest from tribal communities in pursuit of energy sovereignty. Microgrids are more than backup power—they empower communities to shape their own energy destiny.”
OATI provides agnostic microgrid consulting, design, deployment, and control services, ensuring projects are scalable, financially viable, and integrated into broader grid operations. Using its GridMind platform, OATI enables revenue stacking from grid services, market participation, and resilience value, helping to unlock the economic potential of distributed energy resources.
With multiple microgrids underway, Colville Tribes is establishing itself as a leader in tribal energy innovation. The partnership not only secures reliable power but also positions the tribe for new economic opportunities, including data center hosting and advanced commercial development on tribal lands.
Today, more than 9,132 descendants of 12 aboriginal tribes of Indians are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville.
—This content was contributed by the communications team for OATI.
