Building Energy Independence on the Rosebud Reservation

At a Glance

This update covers July 2026 for the RESCO project.

The project scope is now set. We completed value engineering of the preliminary designs and budget, right-sizing the project from four sites to three and optimizing battery energy storage system (BESS) deployment to align with available funding.

The Tribal Council approved the revised scope, and detailed engineering design is now underway.

•      Completed value engineering of the preliminary designs and budget

•      Refined the project scope from four sites to three, optimizing BESS deployment to align with available funding

•      Secured Tribal Council approval of the revised scope

•      Began detailed engineering design for the three approved sites

What’s Happened

July was the month the project made its defining decision. The value engineering effort took the preliminary designs and site-specific budget estimates developed in June and tested them against the funding actually available.

The honest finding: the budget could not deliver four complete, well-built systems.

Rather than stretch the money thin across all four sites, the scope was refined to three sites with optimized BESS deployment, ensuring each remaining location receives a fully funded system built to last.

Just as important is how the decision was made. The revised scope was reviewed and approved by the Tribal Council, keeping the community in the driver’s seat on a choice that shapes the project’s footprint. With that approval in hand, detailed engineering design is now underway. The concept-and-estimate groundwork from June is exactly what made this a deliberate, evidence-based decision rather than a scramble.

“Three complete systems beat four compromised ones. The Council saw the numbers and made the strong call.” said Mary Pierce, PMP, Program Manager and Lead Project Manager

Where This Puts Us

The projectject now has what every project needs before serious money moves: a firm scope, community approval, and detailed design in motion. Grant expenditure stands at 4%, which remains consistent with this early phase, and the value engineering completed this month means the dollars still ahead are matched to a scope they can fully deliver.

The net effect of July is certainty. The question of what gets built where has been answered.

Next, attention turns to detailed engineering design for the three approved sites, translating the optimized concepts into construction-ready plans.

As detailed design matures, the project moves naturally toward the steps that follow it: firming up equipment requirements, sequencing procurement, and preparing each site for delivery. The forward look stays directional at this stage, and the priority order is clear.

Design comes first, and everything downstream now has a fixed scope to build against.

In April, GS3 and RESCO agreed on the next step for their grant project—now moving into an early engineering and planning phase to help prepare for adding electric vehicles across Tribal departments. During this phase, the team is studying what is needed to make this work.

This includes:

• Looking at where charging stations should go
• Whether each site has enough electrical capacity
• How to coordinate with the local utility

The goal is to make sure the system will be reliable and work well for daily operations. The team is also visiting project sites and working closely with Tribal staff to understand their needs. Early coordination like this, ensures the final plan is realistic and can grow over time as needs change.

Our work with RESCO remains focused on bringing in electric transportation to improve mobility, reduce emissions, and support long-term sustainability for the Tribe. By the end of this phase, the team will have a clearer design, better cost estimates, and a step-by-step plan for final implementation.

Efforts have shifted toward detailed cost validation, equipment selection, and confirmation of the remaining project scope.

GS3 completed an Estimate-to-Complete review, updating vendor pricing, labor assumptions, and installation schedules across solar, battery storage, EV charging, and backup generation components. 

Battery energy storage system (BESS) selection was finalized, and basis-of-design documentation was advanced for core system elements.

Regulatory coordination continued in parallel. QAPP and crosswalk materials were submitted to EPA for review, BABA waiver approvals were confirmed for manufactured products, and updated site plans were shared with Tribal Historic Preservation and environmental review partners to support final clearances.

Work this month focused on advancing design coordination, regulatory planning, and early procurement activities across the project sites.

GS3 and RESCO aligned on-site locations and completed initial solar simulations to better understand generation potential and help size each microgrid. 

Planning for electric vehicle infrastructure moved forward, including early RFQ development and coordination around vehicle and charger requirements.

Regulatory and compliance efforts also progressed. 

The team advanced the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) with Parametrix, coordinated early BABA waiver documentation, and continued engagement with Tribal Historic Preservation and environmental review partners in preparation for upcoming site visits.