- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Higher Education
Haskell Indian Nations University and the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy have launched a fellowship aimed at strengthening tribal leadership in renewable energy development and governance.
The Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship (TELF), housed at Haskell in Lawrence, Kan., will provide tribal leaders with more than 100 hours of training on federal Indian energy policy, renewable energy technologies and project finance. Faculty from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will contribute to the curriculum alongside Indigenous scholars and practitioners.
Organizers said the program is designed to help tribal leaders design, finance and manage energy projects while building technical capacity within tribal governments and enterprises. Coursework will cover renewable technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal energy, along with site assessment, microgrids and energy storage systems.
Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy founder and CEO Chéri Smith said the program responds to a common challenge facing many tribal communities: leaders are often asked to oversee complex energy projects without formal technical training. The fellowship is intended to help tribes control “the systems that power our homes, our economies and our futures,” she said.
The 10-week hybrid program combines online coursework with an in-person capstone project tied to a clean energy initiative in a fellow’s tribal community. Instruction will also include financial modeling, federal grant programs, tax credit mechanisms and tribal ownership structures for energy projects.
The inaugural cohort will present capstone projects during the Tribal Energy Evolution Summit in Tulalip, Wash., in May 2026. Fellows receive free tuition, travel assistance and mentorship through the program.
