The tribe is still determining how the power will be delivered. There’s been some discussion with Tongue River Electric Cooperative about selling the power to the co-op. TRECO, as the cooperative is known, is the main source of electricity for the Rosebud County portion of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Big Horn Electric Cooperative serves portions of the reservation in Big Horn County.

The energy business is not new to the Northern Cheyenne, but the tribe sees a need to be more engaged, Atwood said, both for energy reasons and economic ones.

Less than a half-hour up the road, Colstrip Power Plant and Rosebud Coal Mine have been reliable employers for the Northern Cheyenne since the 1970s. But the power plant’s future appears uncertain. The two oldest of the Colstrip’s four units are scheduled to close at year’s end. Power plant operator and co-owner Talen Energy said this spring the units were uneconomical at current coal prices. Westmoreland Mining LLC is seeking a price increase for its Rosebud coal. The LLC is comprised of creditors of the former Westmoreland Coal Co., which went bankrupt over winter.