Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to establish an Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs within the Department of Energy.
Authorizes Indian tribes to: (1) grant leases of tribal lands for electrical generation, transmission, or distribution facilities and facilities to refine or otherwise process energy resources developed on tribal lands; and (2) grant rights-of-way over tribal lands, without separate approval by the Secretary of the Interior, for pipelines and electrical transmission or distribution lines.
Requires Indian tribes to establish environmental review processes that identify and evaluate the significant environmental impacts of proposed Indian Energy Policy and Programs.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to review the activities that have been carried out by the government of Indian tribes under the Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982 and to recommend to specified committees ways to ensure that Indian tribes have the opportunity to develop nonrenewable energy resources and the barriers they face to do so.
Requires the Administrators of the Bonneville Power Administration, the Western Area Power Administration, and other pertinent power administrations to take specified actions to encourage Indian tribal energy developments.
Requires the Secretary of Energy to study and report to Congress on the cost and feasibility of developing a demonstration project that would use wind energy generated by Indian tribes and hydropower generated by the Army Corps of Engineers on the Missouri River to supply firming power to the Western Area Power Administration.
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to revise and extend renewable energy production incentives.
Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide grants to units of local government, private, nonprofit community development organizations, and tribal economic development entities for use in improving energy efficiency, identifying and developing alternative renewable and distributed energy supplies, and increasing energy conservation in low-income rural and urban communities.
Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide rural and remote communities electrification grants to State, local, or tribal governments, or tribal colleges or universities to increase energy efficiency, siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines, or for providing or modernizing electric facilities.