Case Study

Morongo Band of Mission Indians agreement with Southern California Edison

Transmission Line with Tribal Benefits

Case study from Building Community Power: Community Benefits Agreements Across the Global Energy Supply Chain by Climate and Community Institute

Despite their important role in carrying electricity long distances, research and policy analysis examining CBAs in transmission are somewhat limited. While it does not focus on CBAs, a toolkit from the National Wildlife Federation is a key resource that highlights specific ways to enhance community participation in arrangements with transmission infrastructure.

The NWF proposes 5 pillars of responsible & fair clean energy transmission:

Minimizes impact to wildlife habitat in siting transmission infrastructure while prioritizing already disturbed areas
Centers and empowers local communities and Tribal Nations
Applies mitigation measures that conserve and restore ecosystems and wildlife habitat populations
Applies proactive, interregional long-term planning that equitably invites collaboration among communities, state, regional, and federal stakeholders, regulators, and Tribes
Responsible transmission development maximizes coordination of decision-makers.

One key example of the second pillar, centering and empowering local communities and Tribal Nations, is the transformative relationship established between the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the utility, Southern California Edison.

Morongo Band of Mission Indians agreement with Southern California Edison

This case involved the expansion of an existing 48-mile transmission corridor from the Devers substation near Palm Springs to Grand Terrace and San Bernardino, California. A right-of-way contract between the utility and Tribe was set to expire. The utility would have had to spend a half billion dollars to reroute the line because of eminent domain restrictions on Tribal lands. As a result, access to land was a critical point of leverage for the Tribe.

The National Wildlife Federation notes this as a good example of FPIC because the Tribe held a decision-making role about the project on Tribal lands that will yield concrete benefits. Through Morongo Transmission LLC, the Tribe is now a part investor in the transmission line. The utility makes direct payments to the Tribe, expanding the Tribe’s capacity to build, own, and deliver solar, wind and battery power to the Southern California Edison (SCE) electricity grid. SCE also passes energy cost savings to Tribal members. The project was approved by the California Independent System Operator in 2011 and completed in 2021, making the Morongo Band of Mission Indians the first Native American Tribe to be approved as a participating transmission owner in the United States.

Reference List:

Ung-Kono, “Clean Energy Transmission: National Wildlife Federation’s Toolkit for Community Participation.”

Morongo Band of Mission Indians, “Morongo Becomes First Native American Tribe to Be Approved as a Participating Transmission Owner in Nation.”

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