ACORE: Financing Tribal Energy Projects: Key Trends and Emerging Approaches
- Yejide Olutosin
- Apr 15
- 1 min read
Earlier this month, we at ACORE convened a discussion on “Pivoting to Support and Finance Tribal Energy Transitions” at the American Clean Power Association’s Siting & Permitting Conference, bringing together leaders at the intersection of capital, community, and clean energy deployment. Tribal energy is often overlooked in the overall energy conversation, but it’s a critical topic for members of the Tribal community.
As the Director of ACORE’s Accelerate Program, I was thrilled to moderate the panel and be joined by Chrystel Cornelius, President and CEO of Oweesta Corporation; Dave Harris, Chief Operating Officer of Collective Clean Energy Fund; and David Harper, CEO of Huurav Energy.
We discussed several factors shaping Tribal energy development. Constraints in early-stage capital continue to limit project advancement, and access to flexible financing often determines project viability. Project timelines are closely tied to early coordination among developers, Tribal leadership, regulators, and community stakeholders. In parallel, financing structures are evolving better to support Tribal ownership, revenue participation, and sovereignty. Project readiness, in turn, is increasingly contingent on aligning capital strategy, policy pathways, and community priorities from the outset.
As energy affordability, reliability, and domestic supply remain central to national and regional energy discussions, Tribal energy projects represent a significant opportunity to expand capacity, stabilize long-term costs, and support more resilient, community-aligned infrastructure.
Thanks to the American Clean Power Association for convening this discussion. We also recognize the leadership of 2025 ACORE Accelerate Program member Jen Rouda, Founder & Principal of 7Skyline, who was instrumental in convening fellow panelists and shaping the dialogue. She also led a day-long convening during the conference, creating space for deeper alignment among Tribal leaders, developers, capital providers, and community partners.
Through the Accelerate Program, we are excited to continue engaging companies operating across Tribal, rural, and urban energy markets, contributing to a growing pipeline of solutions that expand access to investment and support project development and deployment.
