The Mesa Grande Band of Diegueño Mission Indians, working with the nonprofit Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), has completed solar and battery storage installations at three Tribal facilities on the Mesa Grande Reservation in San Diego County, California. The Tribe describes the project as the reservation's first public clean energy installation and as part of its longer effort to strengthen energy sovereignty.
The equipment serves the Tekamuk administration building, the Hallyeyaaw administration building and the Golden Eagle administration building. These buildings function as civic and community hubs for Tribal government, housing services, cultural and educational activities, food distribution and emergency response.
The solar systems were sized to meet the three facilities' current electricity needs while leaving capacity for future growth, according to the project announcement. Together they are expected to produce about 60 MWh of solar electricity annually and to reduce the Tribe's electricity costs by at least $16,780 per year. The battery systems allow the administration buildings to continue operating independently of the electric grid during outages.
Mesa Grande is a rural community where power interruptions are common, and the project is intended to address that condition. Curtis La Chusa, chairman of the Mesa Grande Tribal Council, said electricity is often taken for granted until service is lost. He said outages at Mesa Grande can last for days at a time and disrupt the services the Tribe provides.
The installation builds on more than two decades of work by Mesa Grande to expand access to reliable, affordable clean energy. Grid electricity did not reach the reservation until the 1950s, and some homes are still not connected, relying on small generators for basic household needs. The Tribe has previously pursued residential solar, renewable energy planning and workforce development. Four Tribal members who had received solar installation training worked on this project, the announcement said.
Bob Freling, executive director of SELF, said reliable and affordable energy can create opportunities for communities to invest in future needs. He said lower energy costs and stronger resilience can free resources and provide a foundation for growth. SELF facilitated the project.
The clean energy work is taking place as the Tribe begins planning new housing and community infrastructure. The long-term plan calls for 1,500 new homes and is intended to address housing affordability and supply shortages that have limited how many members can live on Tribal land. It would include the first new housing built on the reservation since 2005.
La Chusa said Mesa Grande has a bright future and that it begins with enabling Tribal members to return home and providing spaces and services that help them thrive. The project was funded by the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation and others.