Brighter rooms at a senior care facility. Better lighting in an emergency medical bay. Lower energy bills at two key community buildings. These are some of the concrete results from a two-year collaboration between Energy Trust of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs that has now completed more than 40 energy efficiency projects across the reservation.

The partnership has invested over $90,000 into upgrades at two flagship facilities alone — High Lookee Lodge, a senior center, and the Warm Springs Fire and Safety Building, which functions as both a fire station and medical clinic. Together, the two buildings are projected to save $13,800 annually in energy costs.

Better Light Means Better Care

Before the upgrades, Fire Chief Scott Spaulding said the Fire and Safety Building's aging lighting left medical bays dimly lit — affecting both staff performance and patient comfort.

"When the new lighting came in, it completely made it brighter. And the crews can see the patients better and the patient can see the crew better," Spaulding said. "I think the warmth, the feeling of the building helps out with patient care. I think it's all around a better experience."

At High Lookee Lodge — a 26-year-old facility serving Warm Springs elders — Director Fay Hurtado described a similar impact.

"The energy upgrade was awesome. The elders were able to see," Hurtado said. "Dim light is sometimes hard on some that can't see very well. So the upgrades brought a lot of light to our facility."

Unique Challenges on Tribal Lands

Carina Miller, tribal government stakeholder relations manager for Energy Trust of Oregon, said working on the reservation requires understanding needs that go beyond standard utility programs.

"This is a reservation and so it's a very unique community," Miller said. "We need to be able to anticipate for higher energy needs and some of these things that are going to impact our communities regardless. But here in rural Oregon, on the reservations, there are different and unique needs that ETO is learning how to fill those gaps."

Tribal land operates with distinct requirements, encompassing both energy efficiency and energy enterprise — the tribe also sells power to surrounding communities through Warm Springs Power and Water.

Just the Beginning

Both Energy Trust and the Confederated Tribes describe the 40+ projects as an initial phase, with plans to expand services across the reservation in the years ahead. The partnership represents one of the more sustained utility-tribal collaborations in rural Central Oregon.