en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians has completed a 2.23 MW solar canopy system on the Coyote Valley Reservation in Redwood Valley, expected to save the tribe's casino and hotel over $450,000 in energy costs in the first year and reduce on-site future energy consumption by approximately 45%.
The project consists of 1,500 JA Solar modules and 10 Chint Power inverters, including a 1,411 kW solar canopy installed at the casino and an 817.5 kW array at the hotel, while also powering the tribal council office, a convenience store, and a wastewater treatment facility. The system is expected to generate 3.4 GWh of electricity annually. The project was completed by solar developer Watthub Renewables in collaboration with engineering, procurement, and construction contractor SunRenu Solar.
Sunrock Distributed Generation (SDG) will manage and operate the canopy system for the next 30 years. Through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), SDG sells on-site power back to the tribe at a discounted rate below Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s electricity prices, with no upfront costs for the tribe. SDG CEO Wilson Chang stated that the project demonstrates a model for converting energy costs into long-term economic value for local communities, helping to reduce energy costs and improve cost certainty.
As a third-party asset owner and PPA financier, SDG can monetize renewable energy tax credits that the Coyote Valley tribe cannot directly claim, as the tribe, as a sovereign nation, has no traditional federal tax burden. Rachel Whetstone, Chief Financial Officer of the Coyote Valley Tribal Council, noted that the project represents an important step toward a more sustainable future for the tribe and community.
The Coyote Valley tribe settled in the early 1850s, purchased land centered on the "Old Ranch" in 1878, regained federal recognition in 1976, and approved its constitution in 1980. In 2024, the California Energy Commission (CEC) expanded its low-interest and zero-interest clean energy loan program to include California Native American tribes in the application scope.
