Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) received a grant from the US Department of Energy to explore feasibility and pursue development of a wind power generation facility on Cherokee land in north-central Oklahoma. This project followed several years of initial study exploring the possibility of commercial- scale wind power generation on primarily agricultural land owned by the Cherokee Nation. This project produced detailed analysis of the legal, financial and market viability of such generation facilities, and encompassed a full technical evaluation of the engineering, environmental, and geotechnical aspects of installing this capacity. During the course of this project, information gleaned from this exploration changed CNB’s thinking about the best course of action for Cherokee participation in the development, eventually moving away from an equity-owner model and towards utilization of the land asset as a resource while mitigating Cherokee financial and operational risk. As a result of this multi-year project, Cherokee Nation and CNB entered into a long-term ground lease with PNE Wind USA, Inc. (PNE). PNE is developing a wind farm producing in excess of 150MW of renewable electricity on Cherokee land as part of a larger 200MW development also involving adjacent tribal lands. Cherokee Nation will receive the benefit of lease payments and retain ultimate ownership of the land, and the region will see an increase in installed capacity for clean, renewable wind power.