Grant moves Standing Rock college off grid

Ice storms routinely knock out electric power on reservations sometimes resulting in lost lives.

A college on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation will receive about $1 million in federal funding for a $2 million renewable energy project. The grant will be used to help install 636 kilowatts of solar power at five buildings at Sitting Bull College. Officials say the project should decrease short-term energy costs by 20 percent, saving about $74,000 a year. Standing Rock is one of 11 tribal communities slated to split up nearly $6 million in federal money for clean energy projects. The 3,600-square-mile reservation straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. [Associated Press]

Microgrid technologies are destined to enhance tribal sovereignty and free communities from electric monopolies.

After a century of exploitation Black Hills Corporation has announced a $70 million dollar cathedral to capitalism in occupied Rapid City.

Several utilities are based in South Dakota because of the state's regressive tax structure. Meanwhile, the state just raised taxes on those least pay to pay them...again.

Getting off the grid now has never been easier and net-metering only gives control to corporatists: just do it.

Cities ideal for utility-scale #solar plants http://t.co/8OYL0vYFWe #climate #solutions #ActOnClimate #NoKXL pic.twitter.com/OaO1zWIdT5
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) March 17, 2015

Geomagnetic jolt shocks Earth. The storm could disrupt power grids, GPS, Northern lights. http://t.co/0bGUYTP3Pe pic.twitter.com/uLjiXdO2oQ
— Chris Quintana (@CQuintanaSF) March 18, 2015