The Mesa Grande Band of Diegueño Mission Indians, working with the nonprofit Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), has completed solar and battery storage installations at three tribal facilities on the Mesa Grande Reservation in San Diego County, California. The project is described as the reservation's first public clean energy installation and as a further step in the tribe's long-running effort to gain greater control over its energy supply.
The arrays and batteries serve the Tekamuk, Hallyeyaaw and Golden Eagle administration buildings. According to the tribe, the three structures function as civic and community hubs, housing tribal government operations along with housing services, cultural and educational activities, food distribution and emergency response.
The solar systems were sized to meet the three buildings' current electricity demand while leaving headroom for future growth. Combined, they are expected to produce roughly 60 MWh of solar electricity a year and to reduce the tribe's power bills by at least $16,780 annually. The battery component allows the administration buildings to keep operating independently of the grid when service fails, a frequent occurrence in the rural community.
Curtis La Chusa, chairman of the Mesa Grande Tribal Council, said electricity is easy to overlook until it is lost, and that outages on the reservation can stretch for days at a time, disrupting the services the tribe provides to its members.
The installation builds on more than two decades of work by the tribe to widen access to reliable and affordable clean energy. Grid electricity did not reach the reservation until the 1950s, and some homes are still not connected, relying on small generators for basic household needs. Mesa Grande has previously pursued residential solar, renewable energy planning and workforce development; four tribal members who had already received solar installation training were employed on this project.
Bob Freling, executive director of SELF, which facilitated the project, said that affordable and dependable energy gives communities room to invest in what comes next, and that lower costs and stronger resilience can free up resources while providing a foundation for growth.
The completion comes as the tribe begins work on a long-term plan for new housing and community infrastructure. The plan calls for 1,500 new homes to address the affordability and supply shortages that have historically limited how many members can live on tribal land, and would include the first new housing built on the reservation since 2005. La Chusa said the tribe's future depends on making it possible for members to come home and on providing the spaces and services they need to thrive.
Funding for the project came from the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation and other supporters.