As our country transitions to cleaner sources of energy and income on native lands and across the U.S. (which – technically – is all Native land), we need to ensure benefits of renewable projects uplift the native communities they’re sited in.

In this political climate, virtually any issue can seem either red or blue — not least in energy. Investments in renewable energy like solar are regularly treated by media outlets, political pundits and politicians as a solely Democratic priority.

Of all the various applications of green hydrogen, its role in expanding the capabilities of energy storage is perhaps the most critical to decarbonizing our electric grid. Especially as we push forward toward a 100% renewable energy grid, emerging technologies like green hydrogen will significantly expand the amount of intermittent renewable energy we can store.

Today’s fanfare surrounding green hydrogen isn’t the first time we’ve seen excitement about this gas: a Google search will show that the phrase “hydrogen economy” peaked in 1976, only to fade away by 1995. Then in 2006, Ford, BMW and Mazda were bringing hydrogen cars to market (remember those?), and hype shot up once again, only to fade away.

As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust us into a very necessary but delicate grand experiment where millions of workers became suddenly remote. And you know what? It can work, and it works incredibly well for a specific demographic I have the honor of being a part of: military spouses.

Native communities and lands have historically borne some of the worst impacts of fossil fuel development through the health damages associated with coal fired power plants, the destruction of fragile ecosystems and sacred sites, and of course, the impacts of climate change. When Indigenous peoples have a seat at the table to determine the highest use of their land – it is both for the betterment of their communities and the environment. Historically, this has not always been the case.

At a major conference for energy dealmakers and finance players last year, I found myself chatting with a utility executive from Alabama who was looking at contracting a new gas plant. Genuinely curious, I asked him if he’d ever considered solar. He responded with the familiar refrains: that solar is too expensive and unreliable – and that he wasn’t willing to gamble on an alternative energy.

When women are encouraged in STEM careers, the possibilities are endless. Read why we should approach increasing diversity in STEM with the same tenacity as our pursuit of a clean energy future.