After an eight year process, the Rosebud Sioux are reaping their first dividends from the 750 kilowatt wind turbine they have installed on their territory. Rosebud Sioux representatives are now encouraging more tribes to get involved with “green power”. They hope others will be able to use the methods they employed in establishing connections with energy companies, collecting wind data, and selling and transmitting electricity to other communities. Reservations in the Northern Plains are good targets because they are particularly wind-rich. The Spirit Lake Sioux, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, and Inupiat Alaska Natives all have wind towers that are economical and easy to manage. The ultimate goal would be grid-connected wind farms that could produce 50-200 megawatts of power.
