Colusa Indian Community Secures HEARTH Act Approval, Clearing the Way for Faster Energy Development at the Colusa Rancheria

COLUSA, Calif., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of the Colusa Rancheria, California ("Colusa Indian Community"), is proud to announce that its Tribal leasing ordinance has been approved under the HEARTH Act (Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act), granting the Tribe authority to negotiate and enter into leases of its own trust lands without further approval from the Secretary of the Interior or the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The approval was issued June 22, 2026, by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Henry Kirkland III, and the notice was published in the Federal Register on June 26, 2026 (91 FR 38732).

Under the Tribe's newly approved ordinance, business and agricultural leases, including leases for energy projects, may run for up to 25 years, with two additional 25-year renewal options, while residential leases may run for up to 75 years. Improvements, leaseholds, and lease-related activities on these lands are federally preempted from state and local taxation and may instead be taxed by the Tribe.

For Colusa Indian Energy (CIE), a Tribally chartered energy developer wholly owned by the Colusa Indian Community, by placing the approval for land-use decisions directly in the Tribe's hands, timelines for the energy and infrastructure projects CIE is developing on Colusa Rancheria lands are shortened. It marks another step forward in the Tribe's work to advance energy sovereignty and self-determination.

"Nobody knows our lands better than our own people. Leasing decisions now happen here at Colusa, on the Tribe's timeline, and that is how it should be. We thank the Department for its work on this approval, and we are ready to put it to use for our community," said Wayne R. Mitchum, Jr., Chairman of the Colusa Indian Community.

"Every project we build starts with land, and until now every lease on trust land had to go through a federal review that could take months or even years. With this ordinance in place, the Tribe sets its own timeline. We have projects ready for the Rancheria, and this approval allows us to get moving on them immediately," said Ken Ahmann, Chief Operating Officer of Colusa Indian Energy.

About Colusa Indian Community
The Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community is a federally recognized Tribe of Wintun (Patwin) people located on the Colusa Rancheria in Colusa County, California. Governed by the Colusa Indian Community Council, the Tribe invests in energy, healthcare, education, and infrastructure that strengthen Tribal sovereignty for generations to come. Learn more at https://www.colusa-nsn.gov.

About Colusa Indian Energy
Colusa Indian Energy (CIE) is a Tribally chartered LLC, wholly owned by the Colusa Indian Community in Northern California, and the only Tribally owned microgrid developer in the country. CIE delivers turnkey energy infrastructure, including microgrids, solar, storage, and generation, designed for speed, scalability, and long-term performance. The Colusa Indian Energy team brings decades of experience developing complex energy systems for commercial, industrial, and public sector clients across the United States. Learn more at colusaindianenergy.com.

Media Contact:
Nicole Buchanan
Director of Business Development and Customer Relations
[email protected]
541-844-9353

SOURCE Colusa Indian Energy