For Us, By Us: Indigenous-Powered Solar Energy in the Amazon As Indigenous nations of the...
At Alianza Ceibo we work to directly address the needs of communities, strengthening their resilience and relations along the way. Prioritizing solar installation comes partly from a recognition that fossil fuels promote relationships of dependence. Fortunes have to be paid monthly to oil corporations or utilities firms, and communities remain reliant on an external energy grid. Price hikes and energy blackouts are common.
Over the last years, we have installed over 120 solar systems across four Indigenous nations in the Amazon.
These systems are procured, installed and maintained by our own communities, strengthening their self-governance and energy sovereignty in the process. Today, the solar project is led by a technical team composed of Indigenous youth from the Siekopai, A’i Cofán, Siona and Waorani nations.
As Hernan Piaguaje, a core team member explains, “We don’t need people from outside doing this work anymore, as our people have this capacity and knowledge. They know how to install these systems, and that’s one of the strengths that we’re promoting here at Alianza Ceibo”.
Communities allocate the solar systems based on need, not based on who can afford them. Already, systems have been installed in the homes of elders, family homes, and in key communal buildings such as schools and women’s associations.
As Indigenous nations of the Upper Amazon, we are well acquainted with the brutal consequences of fossil energy. Over decades, oil companies have trashed the rainforest, impoverishing communities and leaving a legacy of toxic devastation.
Our decentralized renewable energy system involves an entirely different model of energy, led and owned by communities, and synced to the rhythms of nature. After all, no one can own the heat of the sun or the force of the wind.
