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The Gila River Indian Community, supported by a $5.6 million grant from the Biden administration, activated the nation’s first solar power project across the canal

The Gila River Indian Community, supported by a .6 million grant from the Biden administration, activated the nation’s first solar power project across the canal

The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) has unveiled the nation’s first over-the-canal solar project in Sacaton, Arizona, supported by a $5.6 million grant from The Biden administration Inflation Reduction Act.

The project aligns with the Invest in America program, combining renewable energy production and water conservation. Workers installed 2,556 solar panels on 2,782 feet of Casa Blanca Canal, cutting water evaporation by almost 50%.

Water flowing under the panels also increases efficiency through a natural cooling effect.

GRIC Governor Stephen Roe Lewis reportedly said written statement“The Gila River Indian community is proud to be at the forefront of this revolutionary over-the-canal solar project that not only generates renewable energy but also conserves our most precious resource, water.”

Congressman Greg Stanton, White House Senior Advisor Tom Perez and Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo joined the celebration, praising the tribe’s innovative approach to water conservation.

The project, the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, addresses three major challenges: climate change, water scarcity and renewable energy needs. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the project will generate 1.31 megawatts clean energy for a tribal nation.

Rep. Stanton, a strong supporter of the project, is reported to be told the crowd celebrating the first time electricity was included in the canal project, “we simply cannot overcome the drought here in Arizona without the leadership of the tribal communities and the Gila River Indian community.”

As GRIC develops additional phases of solar power projects over the canal, it is setting new standards for sustainability and offering a model for addressing climate change on a national scale.