'Big Beautiful Bill' imperils tribe's critical survival project: 'We still have homes that are not electrified'
The vast majority of Americans can expect their electricity to be available when they need it — even though energy rates have risen significantly over the years, and there are emerging concerns about how new technologies could impact grid reliability.
However, the One Big Beautiful Bill could uniquely threaten access to electricity for residents on the Hopi Tribe's reservation in Arizona, according to Tribal Business News, leaving tribal members vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves, and economic hardship as they fight to preserve their lands and cultural values.
What's happening?
President Donald Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill, also known as House Resolution 1, into law July 4 after months of debate and amendments to the legislation by Congress.
As expected, the final version of the bill is slashing many clean-energy tax incentives that the Hopi Tribe has relied on to expand access to electricity on the reservation, including electric credits for renewable projects that have reduced building costs by up to 30% to 50%.
This could also imperil utility-scale solar projects meant to replace jobs and revenue after the 2019 closing of the Navajo Generating Station coal plant. The plant supplied others in the region with power while doing little to improve access to electricity on Hopi lands — while also releasing toxic, heat-trapping pollution into the surrounding area and atmosphere.
Why is this important?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a 2023 investigation into Tribal Electricity Access and Reliability found that lack of access to electricity on the Hopi Reservation and Trust Lands hit nearly 29%, whereas that percentage was just 1.4 for the average U.S. household.
In an area where a round trip to the grocery store can take four hours, access to electricity can mean the difference between having food that's fit to eat or going without.
Northeastern Arizona, where the Hopi reservation is situated, is also experiencing more frequent and intense heat waves because of a changing climate, making it all the more essential for residents to stay cool and protect themselves from the No. 1 weather-related killer.
Hopi Tribal Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma told Tribal Business News that the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill has introduced "a lot of uncertainty" to the situation.
"We're disappointed in leaders that don't look beyond their nose when it comes to those communities that rely on moving forward with this technology. We're in 2025 right now and we still have homes that are not electrified," Nuvangyaoma said.
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What is being done about this?
While provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill do disincentivize many green projects that can improve access to electricity and stabilize rates — and cut the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program — attorney Pilar Thomas told Tribal Business News that there's still a window of opportunity to get projects off the ground before tax incentives end.
"The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a big step backward, but I'm not quite as pessimistic as some, because most tribes are doing smaller projects," the partner at the Quarles and Brady law firm said. "... You've got to move, but I think tribes are doing mostly smaller projects for themselves, and I think those are still viable."
The legislation also permanently reauthorized the New Markets Tax Credit, which has supported some tribal projects and makes it attractive for companies to build in underserved areas.
For his part, Nuvangyaoma said the Hopi Tribe was "digesting" how the act could impact larger projects in development, including a 40-megawatt utility-scale solar array. Despite potential setbacks, he indicated his tribe still saw solar as a path toward achieving energy sovereignty.
"I believe that there's people out there who see the impacts that tribal energy sovereignty can have, and so I am hopeful," he said. "We're always looking at what can be done in the darkest situations. We're used to that. With a little bit of light, we'll still move forward with development — we're acting as though none of our projects will be impacted until we can't do so anymore."
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