What is the name of your organization?
Shinnecock Sovereign Holdings
What is the name of your solution?
Shinnecock Power
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
A tribally-owned utility advancing energy sovereignty through innovative solar microgrid and hydrogen storage technology.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Southampton, NY, USA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
United States
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Shinnecock residents currently pay some of the highest electricity rates on Long Island, up to $0.24 per kilowatt hour, compared to $0.17/kWh for surrounding non-Native communities. These high costs are imposed by e PSEG Long Island, who operates without tribal oversight, while community members face deepening economic burdens that limit long-term resiliency and self-determination.
These injustices are compounded by the climate crisis. Major windstorms have caused multi-day power outages, disrupting essential services like those at the Shinnecock Family Preservation Building. Outages often lead to spoiled food and emergency generator use, further driving up energy costs. Located on a vulnerable coastline, “The Neck” is already experiencing sea level rise, coastal erosion, and flooding. These environmental threats endanger homes, community buildings, and sacred sites like the historic Shinnecock Indian Cemetery.
At the root of these challenges are a structural exclusion from utility governance,the legacy of colonial land dispossession, and lack of funding. Extractive development and underinvestment have obstructed the Nation’s ability to adapt to climate threats, despite generations of stewardship and knowledge.
What is your solution?
Our solution is a tribally governed, solar-powered microgrid system designed to provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy to the Shinnecock Nation. At its core is a community solar program that aims to offer electricity to residents at a significantly reduced rate compared to current utility prices.
The program begins with the Nation’s existing solar array and expands through a linked microgrid system, connecting rooftop solar installations across tribal buildings, residences, and cultivation sites like the hatchery, greenhouse, and shellfish processing building. This network is designed to maximize solar generation and minimize electricity costs across the community.
In the next two years, we plan to connect transitional housing and critical infrastructure, implement hydrogen fuel storage, and launch a working version of the microgrid. This effort will be coordinated by newly forming Shinnecock Power, a utility offshoot of Shinnecock Sovereign Holdings. Our tribally governed utility will centralize energy resources, education, workforce development, partnerships, and strategy to build toward a future of Shinnecock energy sovereignty.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
The Shinnecock Nation, meaning "People of the Stony Shore," is the 565th federally recognized tribe in the United States and the largest on Long Island, where they have lived for over 10,000 years. Today, the Nation comprises 1,700 citizens, with around half residing on their ancestral territory, which includes over 200 homes.
The median household income is $66,429, nearly half that of Suffolk County, and over 20 percent of residents live below the poverty line. Tribal households face steep energy costs, paying up to $0.24 per kilowatt hour, with annual bills exceeding $2,700. Though 60 households have participated in state energy programs like HPwES and HEA, these upgrades often increase costs, as electric appliances are more expensive to operate than gas.
Despite a 90.8 percent high school graduation rate, only 39.2 percent of members attain a bachelor’s degree. Youth often lack access to career paths that align with Tribal values. The clean energy sector, projected to reach 1.1 trillion dollars globally by 2027, presents a major opportunity.
By developing a tribally owned utility, the Shinnecock Nation can lower energy costs, create jobs, foster community-led governance, and provide culturally grounded pathways for youth in renewable energy and STEM.
