Solomon tribe helps buy Nome's utility a bucket truck with federal grid money

The Village of Solomon has helped buy Nome's electric utility a new bucket truck. It's the first tribe in a Bering Strait consortium of 16 tribes and Native corporations to start spending its share of federal grid money.

Solomon put $125,000 toward the $250,000 truck for Nome Joint Utility System, according to a Nome Common Council meeting record from Oct. 13. The tribe and its partners announced the purchase Thursday in a joint release published by Kawerak. The truck, meant for power outages, emergency repairs and general maintenance, will carry a marker recognizing the tribe's contribution.

"Having reliable equipment to respond to power outages and emergencies is incredibly important, especially in rural Alaska," Deilah Johnson, tribal resources director for the Village of Aŋuutaq (Solomon), said in the release. Thomas Simonsson, the utility's field operations superintendent, said the truck "will serve Nome for many years to come."

The Bering Strait Grid Resilience Group Consortium, led by the Native Village of Council, has more than $2.7 million available, according to the release. Many other members have projects in pre-development and plan to spend in coming years, the release says.

The money comes from a U.S. Department of Energy formula program that gives states and tribes money to prevent outages and strengthen the electric grid. Tribes must spend it in partnership with an eligible entity, such as a local utility or fuel company, and must match 15% of their federal allocation.

On Oct. 20, the Energy Department opened a new funding round for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 and published how much each state and tribe may claim. The new table lists about $255,000 for the Village of Solomon, $256,000 for the Native Village of Council and $32.8 million for the State of Alaska. Existing recipients and new applicants have until Feb. 17, 2027, to apply, and Kawerak's Energy Program offers help with applications.