The Mesa Grande Band of Diegueño Mission Indians, in partnership with the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), has completed installing solar and battery storage systems at three Tribal facilities on the Mesa Grande Reservation in San Diego County, California. The project marks the first public clean energy installation on the reservation and another step in the Tribe’s long-term pursuit of greater energy sovereignty.

The project provides solar power and battery systems for the Tekamuk administration building, Hallyeyaaw administration building and Golden Eagle administration building. The three buildings serve as civic and community hubs, supporting Tribal government, housing services, cultural and educational activities, food distribution and emergency response.

The solar energy systems are designed to generate enough electricity to meet the three facilities’ current energy needs, with additional capacity for future growth. Together, the systems are expected to generate approximately 60 MWh of solar electricity annually and will save the Tribe at least $16,780 in electricity costs per year. Battery storage lets the administration buildings continue operating independently from the electric grid during outages in a rural community where power interruptions are common.

“Electricity is taken for granted by a lot of people. It’s not something you notice until the power goes out. But at Mesa Grande, it’s a reality we deal with regularly,” said Curtis La Chusa, chairman of the Mesa Grande Tribal Council. “Out here, outages can last days at a time. This naturally disrupts the services we can provide to our people.”

For Mesa Grande, the project builds on more than two decades of efforts to expand access to reliable, affordable clean energy.

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