Reservation is making progress towards saving energy

Coyote Mountain Apartments, a 24-unit family home complex in the Bishop Paiute Tribal Community, is the first of its kind.

The building was recently equipped with solar panels, making it the first Solar Energy in the Affordable Multifamily Housing (SOMAH) program. installation on a tribal reservation in California.

The state-funded program provides property owners with incentives for installation and reduces the costs of operating common areas. Their mission: create a more equitable future by bringing clean energy to the people of California.

“Energy affordability is a major issue for the community,” said Brian Adkins, environmental director for the Bishop Paiute Tribe. “Historically, solar installation has been more accessible to single-family homeowners or new builds, but programs like SOMAH are helping to change that by financing solar installations for renters, particularly those living in affordable housing and areas affected by environmental hazards.” .

The system is estimated to save 24 households nearly $474,000 on energy bills over their life cycle. It is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 40 tonnes emissions per year.

This installation is part of the reserve’s plan to improve energy efficiency and become a more sustainable community.

“We “We hope that other tribal communities can look to us as an inspiration and bring similar projects to their own communities,” Adkins said.

SCE cooperates with Grid Alternatives, a social non-profit organization, in the SOMAH program. The organization installs solar projects in underserved communities and pairs them with a variety of clean energy incentives.

“This solar installation is one of several projects in which SCE and the Bishop Paiute Tribe have partnered to help achieve a more sustainable future,” said Matthew Paruolo, SCE government relations manager. “We are proud to have also helped install electric vehicle chargers at their Tribal Education Center, introduced energy efficiency programs and invested in fire prevention.”