GOING BIG
- Project is on track to be one of the largest wind power developments in the country
- Plans to produce up to 2 Gigawatts of emissions-free electricity
- Capacity to generate as much as 60 GW of power on Tribal lands
- Support from powerful organizations, the White House and government agencies
HOW WE ARE DOING IT
- Established a multi-Tribal power authority to combine our resources
- Hiring professional staff and world-class technical consultants
- Issuing power revenue bonds to finance construction to keep costs low and maintain Tribal ownership
- Creating jobs and reinvesting surplus revenues into our communities
Milestones
The Initial Summit
December 1, 2012
The first Tribal Summit is held in Washington DC to discuss coming together to jointly develop the Tribes’ wind resources. Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Flandreau Santee, Oglala, Rosebud and Standing Rock representatives attend, with grant funding support by the Bush Foundation.
The Second Summit
March 1, 2013
The second Tribal Summit is held at Standing Rock Reservation, with a focus on public power authorities and bond financing. Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Flandreau Santee, Lower Brule, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock and Yankton representatives attend, with grant funding support by the Bush Foundation.
May 1, 2013

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors becomes the fiscal sponsor for the Project.
June 1, 2013

Oceti Sakowin Power Project is featured at the Clinton Global Initiative America conference. Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton Wahpeton and Yankton representatives attend, with grant funding support by the Bush Foundation.
The Third Summit
October 1, 2013
The third Tribal Summit is held at Flandreau Reservation to begin planning in earnest. Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Flandreau Santee, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock and Yankton representatives attend, as well as industry leaders and state and federal government officials, with grant funding support by the Bush Foundation.
December 1, 2013

Northwest Area Foundation awards the Project a 2-year $500,000 grant.
June 1, 2014

The Project joins the American Public Power Association.
POTUS Visits Standing Rock
June 8, 2014

President Obama makes an historic visit to the Standing Rock Reservation.
August 1, 2014

Bush Foundation awards the Project a $200,000 Community Innovation grant.
The Fourth Summit
September 1, 2014
The fourth Tribal Summit is held at Yankton Indian Reservation with a focus on the public power business model and governance, with training by the American Public Power Association. The Tribes begin negotiations on the Oceti Sakowin Power Authority charter.
October 1, 2014

The Project receives a joint letter of support from Energy Secretary Moniz and Interior Secretary Jewell, as the Tribes continue to negotiate the OSPA charter at a summit at Pine Ridge Reservation.
Charter Complete
November 1, 2014
The White House Council of Native American Affairs Energy Subgroup meets with the Project to discuss federal technical and financial support, as the Tribes complete negotiations on the OSPA charter at a summit at Crow Creek Reservation.
Federal Corporation
February 1, 2015

The OSPA charter is pre-approved by the Department of the Interior staff as a federal corporation under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act.
Cheyenne River and Standing Rock join OSPA
March 1, 2015

Crow Creek and Yankton join OSPA
April 1, 2015

Flandreau Santee joins OSPA
June 1, 2015

Flandreau Santee joins OSPA and the Department of Interior officially certifies the OSPA charter marking its official establishment
Oglala joins OSPA
July 1, 2015

Rosebud Joins OSPA
October 15, 2015

May 1, 2016

OSPA joins the American Wind Energy Association.
June 1, 2016

Bush Foundation awards the Project another $200,000 Community Innovation grant.
August 1, 2016

NREL and WAPA provide technical assistance and wind and transmission data across the reservations to assist OSPA in its planning.
OSPA Partners with Apex
August 1, 2017

OSPA Board selects Apex Clean Energy, an industry leader that has successfully developed and financed over 3 GW of wind and solar energy facilities, as its development partner.
First Interconnection Queue Positions
October 1, 2017

Transmission interconnection queue positions are secured with Southwest Power Pool (SPP) for the first two projects – Pass Creek on Pine Ridge Reservation and Ta’Teh Topah on Cheyenne River Reservation.
Looking Forward
January 1, 2018
OSPA and Apex expect to complete the studies and design work and commence construction in 2020, and be commercially operational in 2021, for the Pass Creek and Ta’teh Topah projects. Planning for the second phase of projects has already begun.