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Workers install rooftop
solar panels on the Mid County Community Organization building
in Adair County. The panels were installed as part of the
Cherokee Nation's Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities
Act. COURTESY
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BARON Cherokee Nation officials celebrated Earth Week on
April 22 with a visit to the Mid County Community Organization building
in Adair County, where new rooftop solar panels were installed as
part of Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.'s $30 million Housing,
Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act passed by the Tribal Council
in 2019.
The solar panels will lower utility costs and provide an eco-friendly
energy source for the Cherokee community organization.
Hoskin, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, Natural Resources Secretary
Chad Harsha, Chief of Staff Todd Enlow and Veterans Affairs Secretary
S. Joe Crittenden unveiled the solar panels after signing an Earth
Day proclamation detailing many of the tribe's efforts to reduce
its carbon footprint.
"I hope that more community organizations will do what has been
done here at Mid County," said Hoskin. "This is the third solar
panel project completed by a Cherokee community organization through
our Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities initiative, and there
will be more to come. I believe a fundamental principle of Cherokee
culture is recognizing the impact of what we do today on the next
seven generations of Cherokees, and taking steps like this ensures
we answer that sacred responsibility."
Under the 2019 act, a portion of funding has been set aside to
upgrade Cherokee community buildings with connectivity and sustainability
projects such as solar power, HVAC systems and Wi-Fi connectivity.
The 20 solar panels at MCCO will offset more than two-thirds of
the community building's utility costs, Harsha said.
"Celebrating this project is particularly fitting for Earth Week,
where we take a look at what we do as individuals and what we do
as a tribe to offset our impact on the environment for future generations.
This project highlights a great example of making that commitment,
making that change and investing in our tribal communities," he
said. "For this particular solar panel design, we looked at the
historical utility usage of the facility to determine the appropriate
use of solar panels, which will offset over two-thirds of the utility
usage of the current design of the building and provide substantial
savings over the lifespan of the community building."
The MCCO serves residents of communities in Baron, Peavine and
Westville in Adair County and is located on State Highway 59 north
of Stilwell.
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