Choctaw Nation Receives $5 Million Grant for Energy Improvements on their Poteau, OK Campus

DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) has been awarded a $5 million grant through the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program to increase energy reliability and efficiency across its Poteau campus, saving the tribe almost $150,000 a year in energy costs.

Funding will enable CNO to implement a battery energy storage system that will replace diesel generators in the event of a power outage, increasing energy reliability and reducing carbon footprint. Additional energy efficiency improvements will include insulation, HVAC upgrades, lighting retrofits to LED, and other building enhancements that will bring buildings into energy-saving standards campus-wide.

To implement these changes, the Energy Management Division of CNO’s Utility Department is partnering with OG&E. Trent Marlett, Energy Manager and Project Director, says, “We are constantly looking for innovative ways to make CNO campuses more energy efficient and resilient while using our resources appropriately. Our unique partnership with OG&E ensures vital social services, including the health clinic, child development center, and food distribution center, continue to function in the event of an outage.”

CNO’s Utility Department is charged with tracking daily utility usage and costs and coordinates with utility providers for every facility on the reservation. Since its creation almost 10 years ago, the department has saved the tribe millions of dollars in utility costs while adding 16 facilities over the past year alone.