Daschle, West River tribes plot alternative energy future

By Kevin Woster, Journal staff | Friday, February 29, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle is working with West River tribes to develop wind and other alternative energy projects that could one day far surpass gambling income on the economically depressed reservations.

Daschle, a 26-year-congressional veteran who rose to Senate Democratic leader before losing a re-election bid to Republican John Thune in 2004, has been working closely with the Lower Brule and Rosebud Sioux tribes. He also has been in contact with the Oglala Sioux Tribe on energy issues.

"There is a lot of interest among the tribes in all forms of alternative energy development, especially wind," Daschle said by e-mail. "The national wind map shows enormous wind-energy potential in South Dakota. We jokingly call ourselves the 'Saudi Arabia of wind.'"

Daschle is now a visiting professor at Georgetown University, a fellow at the Center for American Progress and a policy adviser with a Washington, D.C. law firm. He also works as a consultant with South Dakota tribes, helping them deal with the Washington, D.C., bureaucracy and making connections in the energy industry.

The often-overlooked tribes of the northern Great Plains should be deeply involved as the nation identifies and develops alternative energy sources and systems, Daschle said.

"From a public-policy perspective, the critical thing is that we ensure tribes are included and given an opportunity to compete and fully participate," he said.

Daschle is working on the energy issue with former Rosebud Tribe president Charlie Colombe, an entrepreneur from Mission who joined with investors to form the local energy-development company Native Wind. Colombe said Native American reservations have the natural resources for profitable energy, but they are short on the tools of development.

"They don't have expertise. They don't have experience," Colombe said. "They don't have equipment, which is vitally important, and they don't have capital."

That's why private investors and tribal interests need consultants like Daschle, who can help guide tribal officials and reservation energy developers through the bureaucratic maze of private and public interests, Colombe said.

"That's part of the solution, to hook up with guys like Daschle and guys like me who aren't afraid to do business in Indian Country," Colombe said.

The Rosebud Tribe has one wind turbine that generates energy for the gambling casino as well as additional power, Colombe said. He expects such small projects to be duplicated on a much larger scale on reservations.

Daschle agreed, saying the wind-swept Plains will prove especially valuable in the new age of energy.

"In the Great Plains, alternative energy will one day be bigger than gaming is nationally as a source of economic development," he said. "Wind (energy) has increased three-fold since 2000 and solar six-fold in that same time frame. And, of course, bio-fuels growth is off the charts."

Daschle said there has been "nothing of real consequence yet, but I still have high hopes for the prospects of energy development on South Dakota reservations."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com