Over the past two years, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Energy Trust of Oregon have quietly transformed how some of the reservation’s most important buildings use power — and the results are now visible in brighter clinics, more efficient buildings, and lower utility bills.
More than 40 energy upgrade projects have been completed across the Warm Springs community, with a focused investment of over $90,000 at two key facilities: the High Lookee Lodge and the Warm Springs Fire and Safety Building. Together, those two buildings are projected to save the tribe $13,800 annually in energy costs.
A Fire Station That Is Also a Clinic
The Warm Springs Fire and Safety Building serves a dual role that is unusual even by rural Oregon standards — it functions simultaneously as a fire station and a medical clinic for community members seeking treatment.
Before the energy upgrades, the building’s outdated lighting left rooms poorly lit, a problem that compounded anxiety for patients seeking care. Fire Chief Scott Spaulding of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs described the difference the new lighting has made:
“So when the new lighting came in, it completely made it brighter. And the crews can see the patients better and the patient can see the crew better. They come in. I think that the warmth, the feeling of the building helps out with patient care.”
A Unique Partnership on Tribal Land
Carina Miller, tribal government stakeholder relations manager for Energy Trust of Oregon, highlighted the distinct nature of working with a reservation community compared to a city or county.
“This is a reservation and so it’s a very unique community. We need to be able to anticipate for higher energy needs and some of these things that are going to impact our communities regardless. But here in rural Oregon, on the reservations, there are different and unique needs that ETO is learning how to fill those gaps.”
The Warm Springs Reservation spans from the Cascade Range to the Deschutes River canyon and includes roughly 4,000 tribal members. Unlike cities and counties, the tribe operates its own energy enterprise — selling power to surrounding communities — in addition to managing internal energy efficiency.
Part of a Larger Energy Strategy
The energy efficiency work builds on broader investments in renewable energy at Warm Springs. Earlier this year, the tribe received a $1 million federal grant for renewable energy development. The combination of efficiency upgrades and renewable expansion reflects the tribe’s multi-pronged approach to energy sovereignty.
Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit that administers efficiency and renewable programs funded by utility customers, has been expanding its work with Oregon’s tribal nations in recent years, recognizing that reservation communities face distinct barriers and needs compared to other rural populations.