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Propane’s Use on Native Lands
To keep construction costs and energy bills more affordable on native lands, builders can rely on propane for use in homes, commercial buildings, and automotive fleets. Propane provides a comprehensive and independent energy source that doesn’t rely on the availability of natural gas lines or the electric grid. This is an important consideration, as Native American land is typically located in very remote locations that may not have access to these utilities.
Housing
Adequate, accessible, and affordable housing is limited on native lands. According to the National Congress of American Indians, substandard housing makes up 40% of on-reservation housing compared to just 6% of housing outside of native lands. Many Native American housing authorities throughout the country are meeting the housing challenge by constructing and renovating affordable housing with funds from Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Affordable housing doesn’t just mean the purchase price, but also ongoing costs such as utility bills and maintenance. This means that an energy efficient home will continue to be more affordable. HUD has several programs, one of which is the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, commonly called the “HUD Code.” The standards were updated in 2024 and according to HUD, “The updated and newly added standards allow for the use of more modern and energy efficient appliances, including gas-fired tankless water heaters, eliminating the need for HUD alternative construction approvals for use of such appliances.”1 This means propane-powered tankless water heaters can be installed in manufactured housing units at the factory and then shipped to building sites.
Commercial Buildings
In commercial buildings such as schools, restaurants, casinos, and laundry facilities, propane-powered boilers, tankless water heaters, cooktops, and dryers provide clean-burning, cost-effective energy. Backup power generation is also vital. On March 21, 2022, “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced nearly $9 million in funding to 13 American Indian and Alaska Native communities for 14 projects that will harness their vast undeveloped solar, hydro and geothermal energy resources, reduce or stabilize energy costs, and increase energy security and resilience on tribal lands.”2 Among the projects chosen was the installation of solar PV, battery storage, and a backup propane generator to provide clean electricity to 24 unpowered homes in the Comb Ridge/El Capitan community in the Kayenta Chapter of the Navajo Nation (Kayenta, AZ). The Navajo Nation Tribal Government-Kayenta Chapter was awarded $1,185,409 to implement these systems. The solar-based microgrid will consist of 107 kW solar PV, 347.8 kWh battery energy storage, and 168 kW of propane generation for back-up power. The DOE’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs notes, “The microgrid will provide 24/7 power and internet for the community to improve the residents’ quality of life by offering affordable electricity and internet.”3
Propane finds wide use in automotive and equipment fleets on native lands, from construction and landscape equipment to shuttles and school buses. Wayne Bullcalf, the Transportation Director for the Browning School District in the Blackfeet Indian Nation has first-hand experience moving the District from a diesel to propane school bus fleet. Located in remote northwest Montana, the District’s transportation department must transport students across territory spanning approximately 1,600 square miles. Because this school district has fewer resources than other counties in the state, it is imperative that the district save costs where it can. In 2016, Mr. Bullcalf purchased the first fleet of propane school buses, which can be refueled on-site via 13,000- and 18,000-gallon propane tanks located at grid-free autogas refueling stations.
According to the Propane Education & Research Council, school districts can expect fuel costs of propane buses to be up to 50% less than diesel, with fewer maintenance needs, and offer some of the same environmental benefits of electric buses at a fraction of the cost. Indeed, because of the stable price of propane relative to gas and diesel, Mr. Bullcalf has realized fuel savings of $900,000. And, because propane buses are easier to maintain and air and oil filters are less expensive and last longer, they’ve saved $300,000 in maintenance costs. With these savings he purchased 17 additional new propane school buses and implemented safety features such as radios, cameras, and extended stop arms.
Propane: An Independent Energy Source
When considering how to power the buildings you construct on native lands, look no further than propane. In addition to cost savings, propane is energy efficient, environmentally friendly, reliable at sub-zero winter temperatures, and available in remote not served by natural gas or electric infrastructure.
