Lakota Solar Grows Native-Owned Renewables in Tribal Communities

By Shanna Edberg
July 2, 2018

Lakota Solar Enterprises is a Native-owned and operated renewable energy company located on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Its aim is to help tribal lands reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and achieve energy sovereignty. In doing so, it also creates jobs and reduces energy bills in remote and energy-poor communities. Lakota Solar also provides solar power to the Water Protector camps protesting oil pipelines at Standing Rock, and works with a nonprofit to train Native Americans in implementing renewable energy systems.

According to their website, “The harmony between nature and man is an important belief, but one that is slipping away due in part to harmful modern technologies that produce pollution and degrade the natural landscape. The use of safe, sustainable solar heating systems provides a new energy approach for Native Americans on reservations, allowing them to live with more dignity while maintaining their traditional balance with Mother Nature.”