Stanford Energy Seminar | Wahleah Johns | Supporting Tribal Energy Sovereignty

Abstract: Director Johns will discuss the Departments clean energy transition initiatives and how her office supports Tribal energy sovereignty and the next generation of Tribal climate change leaders.

Bio: Wahleah Johns is the Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. She is responsible for upholding and advancing the Office of Indian Energy’s mission to maximize the development and deployment of energy solutions for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Johns is a member of the Navajo (Diné) tribe and comes from northeastern Arizona. Her background is in renewable energy and community organizing, having co-founded Native Renewables, a nonprofit that builds renewable energy tribal capacity while addressing energy access. Her work with the Black Mesa Water Coalition and Navajo Green Economy Coalition has led to groundbreaking legislative victories for groundwater protection, green jobs, and environmental justice. In 2019, she was awarded the Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellowship.

Under her tenure, the Office of Indian Energy’s budget has more than tripled, from $22 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 to $75 million in FY 2023. This growth provides additional funding to support tribal communities in pursuing their energy sovereignty and energy goals and includes an additional 30 positions for the Office.

Johns is deeply honored to work with the Office of Indian Energy to help native communities lead the way in the transition to clean energy.

The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more.

Anyone with an interest in energy is welcome to join one seminar or all of them! You can enjoy seminars in the following ways:

• Attend live. The auditorium may change quarter by quarter, so check each seminar event to confirm the location. Explore the current quarter's schedule.
• Watch live in a browser livestream. Check each seminar event for its unique livestream URL.
• Watch recordings of past seminars 
  • Available on the Past Energy Seminars page and the Energy Seminars playlist of the Stanford Energy YouTube channel
• (For students) Take the seminar as a 1-unit class (CEE 301/ENERGY 301/MS&E 494)

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