At the foot of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Bishop Paiute Tribe is continuing its long-term work to build a more sustainable and self-sufficient future for its community.
The Bishop Paiute Tribe, GRID Alternatives Southern California, and project partners gathered on April 18 to celebrate the completion of a new 29-kilowatt rooftop solar system at Arrowhead Trails Apartments on the Bishop Paiute Reservation.
The installation will provide direct economic benefits to 14 households through energy bill credits, while advancing the Tribe’s broader goals around affordability, sustainability, and energy self-sufficiency.
The installation will provide direct economic benefits to 14 households through energy bill credits, while advancing the Tribe’s broader goals around affordability, sustainability, and energy self-sufficiency.
The Bishop Paiute Tribe is a sovereign tribal nation with more than 2,000 enrolled members. Its members are descendants of the Nu-Mu, the original people of the Owens Valley. Today, the Tribe’s 875-acre reservation sits at the base of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in Bishop and is one of the smaller tribal land bases in California.
For a community with limited land, Brian Adkins, Urban Planner for the Bishop Paiute Tribe, said multifamily housing plays an important role in serving young families and people in transition while making efficient use of the reservation’s available space.
“We’re one of the denser tribes in California,” Adkins said. “We want to make the best use of the land that we have, and multifamily housing really helps in that regard. Any way we can help make the experience more affordable and sustainable matters.”
The Arrowhead Trails project is the second completed solar installation on a tribal reservation in California to receive funding through the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program. With the completion of this second and final multifamily project, the Bishop Paiute Tribe has now brought solar to all of its multifamily housing units.
The Arrowhead Trails installation builds directly on a landmark project completed in 2023 at Coyote Mountain Apartments, another Bishop Paiute multifamily community.
That earlier project made history as the first solar installation on tribal land in California to receive support through the SOMAH program. The 49-kilowatt system serves residents of the 24-unit Coyote Mountain Apartments, an affordable-housing and sober-living community, and is expected to provide nearly $500,000 in lifetime energy-bill savings.
The Coyote Mountain project also demonstrated the wider potential of combining clean-energy investment with workforce development. GRID trainees participated in the installation, gaining practical solar experience while supporting a project that delivered direct benefits to tribal residents.
At the time of the Coyote Mountain ribbon-cutting, Arrowhead Trails had already been identified as the next step. With the completion of the new 29-kilowatt system, the Bishop Paiute Tribe has fulfilled that plan and extended the benefits of solar across all of its multifamily housing.
“The Bishop Tribe is excited to extend renewable solar to the Tribe’s second and final multifamily housing project,” Adkins said. “The ribbon-cutting today represents the ongoing dedication of our housing program and the Tribal Council toward meeting the Tribe’s long-term renewable-energy goals.”
For Adkins, the ribbon cutting was also an opportunity to pause and recognize the progress behind the project.
“We find that we do a lot of work, and then sometimes we don’t celebrate our achievements because we’re always so busy going into the next thing,” he said. “I like it when we have time to step back and celebrate, especially with the tribal leaders who are here today. GRID, SOMAH, and the Tribe can all remember why we’re doing this. Anything that we can do to increase self-sufficiency helps keep life here in Bishop affordable for the Tribe.”
Vice-Chairwoman Emma Williams said the Tribe’s continued investment in solar is helping make energy costs more manageable for local families.
“What it means for our people is that over time, collectively, their energy costs will be a huge savings for them,” Williams said. “This is not something that everybody is able to have access to, and through the Tribe, we’ve made it possible. We’re giving our tribal members an opportunity to have affordable energy costs and energy equity.”
Williams also highlighted the contribution of Adkins, who has served the Tribe in several roles over more than 15 years and helped guide its energy planning from the beginning.
“People like Brian have helped develop our energy plans from day one,” Williams said. “He knows the goal and the path, and he knows the needs of the people. He’s invaluable.”
Williams said the work also creates opportunities beyond lower household energy bills. Tribal members have participated in solar installations, helping build a Native-led workforce with the skills to install and maintain clean-energy systems.
The Arrowhead Trails project was developed through a partnership between the Bishop Paiute Tribe Community Development Department and GRID SoCal. Sierra Solar, a local contractor, completed the installation through GRID Alternatives’ Subcontractor Partnership Program.
GRID SoCal supported the Tribe through each stage of the project, from program enrollment to completion. The installation was fully funded by SOMAH incentives and support from the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund, administered by the Sempra Foundation. The project also required a major electrical upgrade to bring outdated equipment up to current standards, with the Tribe contributing toward the cost.
Alessandra Gonzalez, GRID Outreach Partnership Manager supporting the SOMAH program, said it is essential that programs serving tribal communities are designed with respect for local needs and with clear communication about the benefits residents will see.
“We want to make sure that we’re creating a program that has a respectful approach and serves tribal needs,” Gonzalez said. “At the end of the day, SOMAH wants to make sure tenants know about the benefits they’ll see on their bills.”
Gonzalez said she hopes the work in Bishop can help strengthen relationships and support more tribal multifamily solar projects across California.
“We want to hear tribal voices, make sure we understand the barriers they’re facing, and then work together to figure out how to address them,” she said.
Amy Olsen, Senior Advisor in Southern California Edison’s Customer Solutions Department, said the Bishop Paiute Tribe is a strong example of what can be accomplished through trusted partnerships.
“GRID is a real partner in helping deliver these types of programs to our customers,” Olsen said. “Sometimes it takes a lot to help people take advantage of programs. Delivering solar is not an easy project.”
Olsen said GRID’s work with tribal communities is especially valuable because successful projects depend on trust, long-term relationships, and a clear understanding of local needs.
“GRID has been vital in earning the trust of tribal customers,” Olsen said. “Bishop Paiute is such a great model and example. The hope is that this work can continue to grow and reach more customers.”
Lisa Castilone, GRID Alternatives Director of Tribal Programs, said the Arrowhead Trails project reflects the Tribe’s commitment to using available programs and funding opportunities to benefit its residents.
“Bishop Paiute really utilizes all of the state programs that they are eligible for,” Castilone said. “It takes time and coordination to bring these programs together and implement them. They’ve really been supportive in working with GRID to make things happen.”
The Arrowhead Trails project builds on a partnership between GRID and the Bishop Paiute Tribe that stretches back more than a decade.
“From our first solar installation with the Bishop Paiute Tribe 12 years ago, to the historic first Tribal SOMAH project in 2023, and now this most recent and second SOMAH-funded solar project at Arrowhead Trails Apartments, GRID SoCal is proud of its long partnership of delivering renewable-energy solutions to tribal residents,” said Jaime Alonso, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Southern California. “We look forward to deepening and expanding our partnership with the Bishop Paiute Tribe for decades to come.”
The Tribe is already looking ahead to its next clean-energy goals.
In addition to its multifamily projects, the Bishop Paiute Tribe has installed solar on 237 single-family homes and is working toward a goal of reaching 300 homes by 2030. Adkins said the Tribe hopes to add solar and battery-storage systems to another 10 to 14 homes by the end of the year.
The Tribe is also exploring solar carport microgrids for tribal facilities and community spaces, clean mobility projects, and workforce training in electric-vehicle charger installation and maintenance.
Castilone said potential future projects could include solar and battery-storage systems for the Head Start building, Cultural Center, Educational Center, and Elders Lodge.
Vice-Chairwoman Emma Williams said continued progress can help families keep more of their income for the things they need.
“I hope we can continue this momentum and get to the next level and achieve more self-sustainability with energy,” Williams said. “If people are able to keep their energy costs down, then they can achieve more in their own households and for their own families. More money for the family. This is a big deal.”
The ribbon cutting brought together tribal leaders, residents, GRID SoCal, SOMAH representatives, Southern California Edison, and local officials. It was an opportunity to celebrate a completed project, recognize the partnerships behind it, and mark another step forward in the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s continued work toward greater energy self-sufficiency.
That progress is continuing beyond the Tribe’s multifamily housing. The Bishop Paiute Tribe is also working with GRID SoCal to bring no-cost solar to eligible single-family homes on the reservation.
For local families, each new installation represents an opportunity to lower electricity costs, increase household resilience, and take part in the Tribe’s broader clean-energy vision.
Bishop Paiute residents interested in no-cost solar are encouraged to see whether they qualify. Applications are available through the Tribal Community Development Department at 48 Tu Su Lane in Bishop.
To learn more, call the Tribal Community Development Department at 760-872-4356, contact GRID SoCal at 951-465-2864, or visit gridsolar.org.