PORTLAND, OR — August 2015 – On August 15, students representing tribes from Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho will depart from Portland, Oregon on the third annual Inter-tribal Energy & Tech Tour. The Inter-Tribal Energy & Tech Tour is the nation’s first summer camp committed to educating tomorrow’s tribal leadership on energy, technology, and partnership potential.
Students were selected by application process to participate in a memorable 9-day tour of state-of-the-art energy and technology organizations in Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. The Tour was launched in 2013 by Redbridge, Inc., an 8a Certified, Native American owned marketing services company based in Portland.
The mission of Redbridge’s Energy & Tech Tour is to introduce tribal youth to state-of-the-art energy and technology projects and generate awareness for tribal organizations that are active in the industry.

This year, students will visit to learn how people and projects from these progressive organizations are changing the world.

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – World-class programs and capabilities at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory span one square mile, what many consider to be “the smartest square mile on Earth”
• SUPERNAP Data Centers – Award-winning Tier IV Gold SUPERNAP data centers are certified as the highest-ranking colocation data centers in the world and are maintained by the highest-rated mission critical operations teams
• Southern California Edison – One of the nation’s largest electric utilities, delivering power to 15 million people in 50,000 square-miles across central, coastal and Southern California, SCE is also the first utility in the nation to create a Tribal Liaison position dedicated to advancing utility and tribal energy partnerships
• and more!

For generations, tribes have practiced sustainability and environmental preservation. Today, with over 5% of the nation’s natural resources located on tribal lands, tribes have the opportunity to share sustainable practice and lead the nation toward energy independence on and off reservation lands. Department of Indian Energy estimates 14 billion MWh utility-scale rural solar resources exist on tribal lands. “With over 500 tribes across the US and 5% of the nation’s natural resources on tribal reservations, energy and technology savvy tribal communities are in a position to bring change to their communities and really utilize energy and technology to create jobs and make a dent in the universe. And it starts with educating tribal youth about the potential. Get them inspired and asking questions and there’s no limit to what they’ll achieve,” said Shannon Hulbert, Yurok Tribal Member and President of Redbridge, Inc. “And, witnessing organizations like Schneider Electric, Opus Interactive, Infomart, and more come together to support these students and make it happen just speaks volumes for their commitment to youth and the environment. It’s pretty cool!”