Tribal Energy Alternatives

What Tribal Energy Alternatives does

Tribal Energy Alternatives (TEA) is a Tribal-led nonprofit affiliate of GRID Alternatives headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Formed in early 2025 through the merger of GRID's National Tribal Program and Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF), TEA is the first Tribal-led affiliate office at GRID Alternatives and operates semi-independently while leveraging GRID's national infrastructure. Its mission is to advance tribal energy sovereignty across Indian Country through grant funding, workforce development, education, solar construction, California-specific resources, and policy advocacy.

TEA's core offerings center on the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund, which administers grant programs including Facility and Residential Grants (up to $200,000), Gap Fund Grants (up to $250,000), Energy Planning Grants (up to $50,000), and Capacity Building Grants (up to $100,000). The Workforce Development pillar includes Installation Basics Training (IBT), Tribal Energy Associates paid cohorts ($5,000-$9,000 stipends), the Tribal Energy Innovators Fellowship ($50,000 over 18 months), scholarships, and a TCU Education Collaborative. The Construction program integrates solar PV installations with on-the-job workforce training; the California Resources program connects California tribes to state-specific funding; and the Policy program drives advocacy at federal and state levels. Underlying technology includes rooftop, carport, and ground-mounted solar PV, energy storage, and microgrid solutions for energy resilience. Cumulative TSAF disbursements exceed $21.9 million across 146 grantees in 22 states.

TEA's business model is nonprofit grantmaking and program delivery rather than commercial revenue generation. Programs are provided at no cost to federally recognized tribes, tribal housing authorities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and tribally led nonprofits, with funding sourced from federal grants, philanthropic partners (e.g., Google supported the Cheyenne and Arapaho project), and donations. The organization is governed by a tribal-majority board with high-profile members including former National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp. Revenue/operating budget figures are not disclosed.

Name

Tribal Energy Alternatives

Legal name

Tribal Energy Alternatives Inc.

Website

https://tribalalternatives.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tribal Energy Alternatives is a Tribal-led nonprofit affiliate of GRID Alternatives that provides grant funding, workforce training, solar construction, and policy advocacy to federally recognized tribal nations, tribal housing authorities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities across 22 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Clean Energy Services

NAICS

American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Use, Indigenous & Community Engagement Policy (EUAMANAL)

Keywords

• Tribal solar grants
• Workforce development
• Clean energy advocacy
• Renewable energy construction
• Nonprofit grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grant Making - Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF): As a nonprofit grant-making organization, TEA primarily distributes funds to Tribal communities through the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund. Funding comes from federal grants, philanthropic sources, and partnerships. The organization does not charge tribal beneficiaries for its programs.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The organization accepts donations through its website to support tribal energy programs. Individual donors can contribute through the donation portal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tribal Energy Alternatives is a Tribal-led nonprofit that distributes grants through the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) to Tribal Nations, tribal housing authorities, and tribal-serving organizations for solar energy projects. It also delivers hands-on workforce training and education programs, direct solar construction services on tribal lands, California-specific tribal resources, and policy advocacy to advance tribal energy sovereignty across Indian Country. All programs are delivered at no cost to eligible tribal recipients.

Product overview

Tribal Energy Alternatives (TEA) is a Tribal-led affiliate of GRID Alternatives that offers a comprehensive suite of programs organized around five core pillars: Grants (through the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund), Workforce Development & Education, Construction, California Resources, and Policy & Advocacy. The flagship Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) administers multiple grant programs including Facility & Residential Grants (up to $200,000), Gap Fund Grants (up to $250,000), Energy Planning Grants (up to $50,000), and Capacity Building Grants (up to $100,000). The Workforce Development program encompasses Installation Basics Training (IBT), the Tribal Energy Associates Program (paid 6/12-week cohorts), the Tribal Energy Innovators Fellowship ($50,000 stipend), scholarship programs, and the TCU Energy Professional Learning Fund. These offerings work together to support Tribal energy sovereignty through funding, hands-on training, project construction, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) A Tribal-led grantmaking program that provides direct funding and technical support to Tribal Nations, Tribal organizations, and Tribal-serving entities to advance renewable energy projects and long-term community resilience. Operates as the umbrella funding vehicle under which TSAF sub-grant programs are administered.
• Tribal Facility & Residential Grant Program Provides funding up to $200,000 for solar energy installations serving tribal homes, community facilities, and essential infrastructure to reduce energy costs and expand clean energy access for eligible Tribal communities at no cost to applicants.
• Tribal Gap Fund Grant Program Offers flexible funding up to $250,000 to bridge financial gaps for Tribal clean energy projects, supporting matching funds, pre-development costs, or critical project expenses.
• Tribal Energy Planning Grant Supports Tribal Nations in developing comprehensive energy plans with funding up to $50,000 for planning activities, feasibility studies, and long-term clean energy strategies.
• Tribal Capacity Building Grant Program Provides grants up to $100,000 to strengthen Tribal organizational capacity for clean energy development through staff training, technical assistance, and program development.
• Tribal Workforce Development Program
• Installation Basics Training (IBT)
• Tribal Energy Associates Program A paid online experiential learning program offering 6-week ($5,000 stipend) or 12-week ($9,000 stipend) cohorts that teaches tribal members about solar and renewable energy project development, with mentorship and online curriculum.
• Tribal Energy Innovators (TEI) Fellowship
• Tribal Energy Alternatives Scholarship Program
• Renewable Energy Training Scholarship Program
• Tribal Solar Research Internship
• TCU Energy Professional Learning Fund
• Tribal Energy Education Collaborative
• Tribal Construction Program
• Tribal Policy & Advocacy Program
• California Tribal Resources Program

Quantifiable outcome

• $20,400 annual energy cost savings for Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes project serving 13 homes with 113.4 kW system
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor, core and major.

• GRID AlternativesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025GRID Alternatives is TEA's parent organization. TEA is the first Tribal-led affiliate office at GRID Alternatives, created when the National Tribal Program and Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund joined in early 2025. TEA operates in alignment with GRID's mission while having its own local operations, staffing, and community engagement, combining national organization strength with community-based flexibility.
• Native RenewablesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative Renewables co-founder Suzanne Singer served as keynote speaker at the 2023 Tribal Sustainability Summit. The organization focuses on bringing affordable solar energy solutions to indigenous households, aligning with TEA's mission.
• Northwest Native ChamberscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTEA works with Northwest Native Chambers to provide yearly IBT cohorts and additional workforce opportunities through their Native Clean Energy Workforce Initiative in the Portland area.
• Clackamas Community CollegecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTEA collaborates with Clackamas Community College to provide IBT cohorts for Portland Native students who then enroll in Clackamas' Renewable Energy Certificate program.
• Blackfeet Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEA partnered with Blackfeet Community College in Montana to deliver Installation Basics Training in conjunction with an Energy Auditing course, including hands-on labs with industry equipment. Students graduated with OSHA 10 and CPR/AED/First Aid certifications.
• College of Menominee NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEA hosted the Midwestern Tribal College/University Energy Education Convening at the College of Menominee in Wisconsin, with over 5 midwestern TCUs in attendance. The convening featured hands-on activities, field trips, and workshops on solar energy impact.
• Western Indigenous Network Solar for All (WIN-SFA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIN-SFA was a $62.4 million initiative that would have delivered clean energy to more than 2,900 Tribal households across New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and Colorado. TEA advocated for restoration of funding after its abrupt termination, as the program was projected to reduce household energy costs by at least 20%.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Solar United Neighbors: Solar United Neighbors is a nonprofit that organizes community solar coops and provides solar education to households. It overlaps with TEA on community-engaged solar deployment and education, though without the explicit tribal-led focus or grant-disbursement model.
• Indigenous Environmental Network: Indigenous Environmental Network is an Indigenous-led organization advocating for environmental justice, climate action, and tribal sovereignty including energy issues. Comparable to TEA on the policy advocacy and Indigenous-led organizing dimensions of the mission.
• Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP): ITEP at Northern Arizona University provides tribes with training, technical assistance, and resources on environmental and climate issues including clean energy. Comparable to TEA on workforce training and tribal capacity building, with overlap on Tribal Colleges and Universities engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Sunwealth: Sunwealth is a clean energy financing firm that invests in community solar projects serving nonprofits, tribes, and low-income communities. It overlaps with TEA on financing solar for underserved community owners, though via investment vehicles rather than grantmaking.
• National Congress of American Indians (NCAI): NCAI is the oldest and largest national organization advocating for tribal sovereignty and self-determination. TEA board member Fawn Sharp served as its president. Overlap with TEA on tribal-sovereignty policy advocacy and federal engagement, though NCAI operates at a much broader governance level.
• Vote Solar: Vote Solar is a national solar policy advocacy organization engaging state Public Utility Commissions and legislatures, similar to TEA's policy pillar (Idaho PUC, Minnesota PUC work). Comparable in mission of expanding equitable distributed solar access, though broader in scope than tribal-specific work.
• Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA): CESA is a nonprofit coalition of state clean energy programs, including tribal-serving initiatives, that shares best practices on grant programs and policy. It is comparable to TEA on the policy/grantmaking function for clean energy access, though it operates at the state-agency level rather than tribal-government level.
• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): RMI is a clean energy research and policy nonprofit working on energy transition topics including equitable access. Comparable to TEA on the renewable-energy policy and program-design function, though RMI operates at global scale and is not tribal-specific.

Direct peers

• Native Renewables: Native Renewables focuses on affordable solar energy for Indigenous households, including off-grid solutions for tribes lacking utility access. Co-founder Suzanne Singer keynoted TEA's 2023 Tribal Sustainability Summit, indicating close programmatic overlap on Indigenous-led residential solar deployment and workforce training.
• GRID Alternatives: GRID Alternatives is TEA's parent organization and the country's largest nonprofit solar installer. It developed and licenses the Installation Basics Training (IBT) curriculum, runs national workforce and installation programs, and provides TEA with operational infrastructure, donor network access, and brand credibility - directly comparable on solar installation, workforce training, and grantmaking mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tribalenergyalternatives
• Facebookfacebook.com/TribalEnergyAlternatives
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tribal-energy-alternatives
• Instagraminstagram.com/TribalEnergyAlternatives
• Xx.com/TribalEnergyAlt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tribal Energy Alternatives