Seneca Environmental, the energy solutions division of Seneca Holdings, the wholly owned investment arm of the Seneca Nation, announced it has won the first-ever invitation for a majority-owned company to sell energy attribute certificates (EACs) to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). ).
In April, the GSA announced its intention to purchase the EACs, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House Council on Native American Affairs. EACs are contractual instruments used to track the production and consumption of renewable energy. Each EAC serves as proof that 1 MWh of sustainable energy has been produced and will be supplied to a region’s electricity grid.
Under this contract, the GSA will purchase EACs from generation sources that qualify as carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE), enabling 185 federal buildings in 12 states to use 100% clean electricity. The total electricity load for these buildings is 349,108 MWh, which is equivalent to the power consumed by 32,780 typical homes in a year. This procurement represents a savings of nearly $800,000 compared to the average price GSA paid for CFE EACs last year and is clear evidence that tribally owned companies can be price competitive with private sector companies.
“Seneca Environmental is building our capacity to participate in the energy markets and serve customers who value authentic business relationships with tribal businesses,” said Jeffrey Ellis, CEO of Seneca Holdings. “This government contract provided us with the opportunity to combine Seneca Environmental’s growing capabilities in the renewable energy sector with our organization’s already deep expertise in doing business with the federal government.”
This is the first GSA purchase of EACs from majority-owned tribal companies using the Indian Energy Purchase Preference (IEPP), established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. As part of a commitment by November 2022 to ensure that investments in the clean energy sector To reach the economies of tribal lands, the Biden administration has launched an initiative to increase the use of tribal energy by federal agencies through their procurement authorities, including a pilot program. This GSA procurement will pilot the IEPP while providing additional opportunities for tribes and indigenous nations to participate in the renewable energy market. The purchase supports the Biden Administration’s Federal Sustainability Plan goal of powering all federal operations with CFE by 2030, and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to Native Nations.
“This is a very exciting moment when a policy that has been waiting for implementation for nearly two decades is finally becoming a reality,” said Julie Ramey, GSA Tribal Liaison in the Office of the Administrator. “As part of this administration’s renewed focus on Native policies and programs, GSA was authorized to take on the complexities of implementing this provision. This is a historic milestone that we hope will lead to even more progress across the federal community, including with our partners like DOE and DoD, to create further opportunities for tribal businesses.”
With purchases like these, the federal government demonstrates active support for Indigenous communities building businesses that generate financial and non-financial benefits that flow directly back to that community.
Tribes and indigenous nations are the only form of government in the United States that can own and operate for-profit corporations. These businesses are an important source of income that provide essential services to Indigenous communities, including education and cultural conservation. Some of these tribal companies are now expanding into the renewable energy market, which has become more accessible to them with legislation and initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, and the Justice40 Initiative.
News item from Seneca Environmental
