I don’t buy the feel-good framing on this one.
If the tribe gets real control over power, water, land use, and revenue, fine. If not, it is the same old extraction deal with nicer PR.
source:
I keep coming back to the exit clause.
If the operator can bail early, who owns the shell and who pays cleanup? That part decides whether this helps or just leaves a mess.
The jobs pitch is the shiny part. The power contract is usually where the real leverage lives.
I wouldn’t write these off automatically. If a tribe can lock in revenue share and real veto power over expansion, the operator might be the one signing the uncomfortable terms for once.
