Eastern Band of Cherokee Hold Ribbon Cutting Ceremony For New Solar Project

Pictured from left to right: Tribal Council members David Wolfe, Adam Wachacha, Tom Wahnetah, Principal Chief Richard Sneed, Tribal Council member Perry Shell, Deputy & Chief Operating Officer for Energy and Infrastructure Programs at Siemens Government Technologies Gregory Bowman, Vice Chief B Ensley, Tribal Council members Tommye Saunooke, Bo Crowe, Lisa Taylor and Secretary of Agriculture & Natural Resources Joey Owle.

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​Today, the Principal Chief, Vice Chief, members of Tribal Council, and leadership from Siemens Government Technologies gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the new solar project at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel.

Richard Sneed, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, opened the ceremony by emphasizing on the Tribe’s appreciation for their partnership with Siemens Government.

“We’ve had a great partnership with Siemens and appreciate all they have done,” said Sneed."This project is a landmark victory for the EBCI and is the result of years of work by many individuals, tribal programs, and community partners. I am very proud of the hard work that has gone into this project and I was pleased to be able to celebrate this success with so many today. I look forward to many more community partnership projects like this for the future of our tribe."

Leading the project was Joey Owle, Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who began collaborating with Siemens Government Technologies in May of 2018.

“Siemens Government Technologies worked closely with the Tribe to make this project happen and it’s exciting to see what we have accomplished through teamwork” said Owle. “This will be here for years to come and will set an example to get our youth excited about future projects like this.”

The solar project will generate 700 kilowatts of energy, saving roughly $100,000 annually, and is another great example of the Tribe and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel’s shared commitment to environmental sustainability.