Arizona tribes to benefit from Interior funding to upgrade BIA-owned power utilities

Published: Saturday, February 17, 2024 - 12:08pm
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Coverage of tribal natural resources is supported in part by Catena Foundation

The Interior Department announced $10 million to upgrade BIA-owned irrigation projects and power utilities serving tribal communities on Friday. Two of those projects directly benefit tribes in Arizona.

The San Carlos Apache Tribe and Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, will each receive $1 million to improve their electric power systems.

An overhaul of power plant generating units will take place at the Colorado River Agency Electrical Services, located on the CRIT reservation, spanning Arizona and California.

Also getting upgrades and repairs is the San Carlos Irrigation Project substation and its electrical infrastructure in Coolidge.

This new federal funding is part of a broader five-year, $50 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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