Technical Assistance and Resources for Tribal Nations

The Joint Office is facilitating the adoption of electrified transportation in collaboration with tribal nations by providing comprehensive technical assistance and resources.

Technical Assistance

The Joint Office provides technical assistance to tribal nations on the planning and implementation of a national network of EV chargers and zero-emission fueling infrastructure, as well as zero-emission transit and school buses.

DOE's Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs provides technical assistance for advancing tribal energy projects to federally recognized tribes, including Alaska Native communities, tribal energy development organizations, and other organized tribal groups and communities.

Resources for Tribal Nations

Below are educational and webinar resources for tribal nations navigating transportation electrification.

Educational Opportunities for Tribal Nations

There are numerous resources available to tribal nations for deploying zero-emission, convenient, accessible, equitable transportation infrastructure. Some examples are provided below:

• Community Benefits of Rural Vehicle Electrification
• Electric Vehicle Benefits and Considerations
• General Information on Electric Vehicles from the Alternative Fuels Data Center (including a short introductory video, case studies, and information on tax incentives)
• Catalogue of Laws and Incentives by State and Federal Programs from the Alternative Fuels Data Center
• General Information on Electric Vehicles from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Upcoming Webinars

There are no webinars scheduled at this time.

Past Webinars and Presentations

• Joint Office of Energy and Transportation: Building Justice40 and Equity Considerations into State Plans—The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program asks states to consider equity in their planning process. Torrey Lyons and Monisha Shah from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provided an overview of equity considerations for planning and deploying EV charging infrastructure. The webinar also covered the Justice40 Initiative and how it relates to the NEVI Formula Program and state plans.
• Federal Transit Administration: Low or No Emission Grant and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program—This presentation was used by Federal Transit Administration staff in a series of webinars beginning March 2022 for potential applicants to the fiscal year 2022 Low or No Emission Grants and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities consolidated Notice of Funding Opportunity. It covers the application requirements, the new Zero Emission Transition Plan requirement, and how to apply through Grants.gov.
• Environmental Protection Agency: Electric and Clean School Bus Infrastructure by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation—This presentation provided an overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program and availability of funding to convert school bus fleets to clean and zero-emission models.
• Tribal Transportation Program: Tribal Transportation Program Overview—The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Office of Tribal Transportation administers the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP). This TTP 101 webinar is intended for transportation employees new to the TTP or those that need a refresher. This webinar provides an overview of the purpose and policies of TTP, including laws and regulations that govern the program.
• Tribal Transportation Program: Finance and Innovative Financing—The webinar provided a discussion of the various tools, expertise, and financing available to the tribal transportation community to explore and implement innovative financial strategies to deliver projects.
• Tribal Transportation Program: Grant Writing—The webinar presents on tying the planning process to grant writing and development of a "vital statistics" data set. In addition, the webinar includes a presentation on dashboarding safety data.
• Tribal Transportation Program: Tribal Transportation Planning—This TTP 101 webinar is intended for transportation employees new to the TTP or those that need a refresher. This webinar provides an overview of the Tribal Transportation Planning processes and documents required to deliver the TTP.