The Mesa Grande Band of Diegueño Mission Indians has finished installing solar arrays and battery storage at three administrative buildings on its reservation in San Diego County, California, working with the nonprofit Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF). The Tribe describes the installation as the reservation’s first public clean-energy project and as part of a broader effort to gain more control over its energy supply.
The equipment serves the Tekamuk, Hallyeyaaw and Golden Eagle administration buildings. These facilities act as civic and community centers, housing tribal government offices and supporting housing services, cultural and educational programs, food distribution and emergency response.
The solar systems were sized to cover the three buildings’ current electricity demand while leaving room for future growth. Combined, they are expected to generate about 60 MWh of solar electricity each year and reduce the Tribe’s power costs by at least $16,780 annually. The batteries allow the buildings to keep operating when the local grid fails, a practical benefit in a rural area where outages are frequent.
Curtis La Chusa, chairman of the Mesa Grande Tribal Council, said reliable electricity is easy to overlook until service is lost. He noted that outages in the area can last for days and interrupt the services the Tribe provides to its members. The new systems are intended to reduce that exposure for key administrative functions.
The project continues more than two decades of work by Mesa Grande to improve energy access. Electricity did not reach the reservation until the 1950s, and some homes still lack a grid connection, using small generators for basic needs. The Tribe has previously pursued residential solar, renewable-energy planning and workforce development.
Four Tribal members who had already received solar-installation training worked on the project, according to the announcement. That staffing links the construction work to the Tribe’s longer-term interest in building local skills for clean-energy projects.
Bob Freling, SELF’s executive director, said lower energy costs and stronger resilience can free resources for communities to invest in future needs. He described solar as a foundation for growth and said SELF is interested in how the systems help Mesa Grande pursue its goals.
The clean-energy work is taking place as the Tribe begins planning new housing and community infrastructure. The plan calls for 1,500 homes and is meant to address affordability and supply constraints that have limited how many members can live on Tribal land. It would include the first new housing on the reservation since 2005.
La Chusa said the Tribe’s future depends on enabling members to return home and on providing spaces and services where they can thrive.
The project was funded by the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation and other supporters.