The Morongo Band of Mission Indians will own the portion of a $740 million Southern California Edison transmission project that will carry renewable energy across tribal lands, Indian Country Today reports. The innovative agreement will enable the tribe to earn revenue from the transmission lines well into the future while saving SoCal Edison as much as $500 million in up front costs to acquire the right-of-way through the critical Banning Pass. “We’re willing to share the model with any tribe that has this issue across the country,” Former Morongo Band Chairman Robert Martin told ICT. “And there’s thousands and thousands of miles that go through reservations.” (Indian Country Today)
