Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, North Dakota, is giving students an opportunity to learn about solar power in a unique way. The college, located in the Bakken oil patch, has received a $200,000 grant from the Tribal Solar Accelerated Fund. Panels will be installed by students, community members, and faculty at the college’s main building and cultural center.
Insert paraphrased since it specifies how much power is being installed: It’s a two-part project with a 10-kW system on the college’s cultural center and an 84-kW system on the main building,
“We’re always looking to find alternative methods to power," Vice President of Campus Services Jennifer Janecek-Hartman said. "We, as a world, have become so dependent upon fossil fuels, which are finite. And we live in North Dakota—we know the wind always blows, the sun usually shines here. So those are always good options for institutions.”
Students interested in solar power can also obtain a degree from the college in sustainable energy technology.
“We want to set the good example for our community. Yes, we are in the heart of the Bakken. Yes, oil and gas have done lots of really good things for us here on (the) Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and the MHA [Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara] people," Janecek-Hartman said. "But again, any opportunity that we can to diversify our energy use at the college (is beneficial)."