The U.S. Department of Energy is hosting its first-ever Tribal Summit with American Indian and Alaska Native Leaders in Arlington, Va., Today and Thursday, May 5.

The summit kicked off this morning with a round-table discussion between tribal leaders and elected political leaders, said David Conrad, director of intergovernmental and tribal affairs for the Department of Energy.

The event has drawn leaders from tribes around the country, Conrad said. The DOE expected representatives from at least 50 different tribes to be present at the discussions and many others to tune in to the live webcast and submit questions electronically so they could participate.

“It will be very diverse,” Conrad said.

The summit is the first event of its kind, Conrad said.

Energy issues on tribal lands have become increasingly important and also relevant to the rest of the country in recent years. As solar and wind developers look to the Southwest for their projects, tribal land and interests have been featured more prominently. In addition to renewable energy resources like solar and wine, the tribal lands in those areas are sometimes rich in fossil fuels as well.

There are two primary areas of concern and interest for tribal leaders, Conrad said. The first is community and energy security, which involves everything from having enough power to making the environment clean and safe after oil or gas drilling or nuclear power generation on tribal lands. The second is revenue generation through the creation of new energy projects on tribal lands and Indian and native involvement in energy affairs outside of tribal lands.

With those two primary areas of interest in mind, leaders will be able to participate in five different round-table discussions at the Summit.

One will be more casual, where tribal leaders will be able to discuss anything they wish regarding energy use, development or security on their lands, Conrad said. One will focus on nuclear issues and nuclear cleanup. Another will center on business development and education. A fourth will highlight a discussion about energy transmission issues and grid connectivity. The fifth will hinge on energy production, especially in regards to renewable sources like solar.

The event is drawing some major movers and shakers in Washington along with tribal leaders from across the country. Secretary of Energy Chu will speak Thursday morning. Other key speakers include, Heather Zichal, White House Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change and Kimberly Teehee, White House Special Advisor on Native American Affairs.