“We feel like we are part of America, yet often left behind,” expressed Versynthia Charlie, the district manager of the Navajo Tribal Utilities, a nonprofit organization that provides electricity, water, wastewater, and natural gas, along with solar energy solutions.
For several years, the Navajo Nation Power Authority has been dedicated to rapidly connecting more homes on the Navajo reservation to the electrical grid. Through a program called Light Up Navajo, which merges public and private funding, utility workers from various power companies across the nation are collaborating to aid in this crucial effort by linking homes and extending power lines.
However, installing electrical infrastructure on a reservation that spans an area similar to the size of West Virginia poses challenges. The rugged landscape and the great distances between residences make the process both time-consuming and costly. Installing utility poles can take hours due to underground rock formations, and some homes situated near Monument Valley necessitate underground power lines due to strict local construction regulations.
Currently, about 32% of homes within the Navajo Nation remain without electricity. Dinis Besenti, the manager of government and communications for the utility, indicated that it would cost $416 million to reach the remaining 10,400 households on the reservation.
This year alone, Light Up Navajo successfully connected 170 families to the electrical grid. Since its inception in 2019, the program has electrified a total of 882 homes. Besenti mentioned that if funding for the program continues, it could take an additional 26 years to provide electricity to every home on the reservation.
Those who benefit from these connections see significant improvements in their daily lives.
Prior to this month, the solar panels at the homes of Black and Gillis, installed years ago, could only last about two to three days without power during overcast weather, requiring another two days to recharge.
“I had to carefully monitor my wattage usage on cloudy days,” noted Gillis.
A team of volunteer power crews from Colorado assisted in installing 14 power poles, while the tribal power company dug a 6-foot-deep hole for their placement. The crew then extended power lines approximately a mile down a sandy road to reach the couple’s home.
Black shared her feelings after the connection was made: “The lights just got brighter.”
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in federal funds allocated to tribal reservations for infrastructure improvements. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided a substantial $32 billion, of which the Navajo Nation has received $112 million designated for electrical connections. Additionally, the Navajo Nation’s utility also received $17 million from the Inflation Reduction Act, designed to combat climate change, to assist in connecting homes to the grid. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic hurdles and logistical challenges, the impact of this funding can lag before translating into tangible results.
Looking ahead to next spring, tribal public works officials aim to connect another 150 homes, including the residence of Priscilla and Leo Dunn.
For this couple, gaining access to electricity in their home near the Navajo Mountains of Arizona will mark the end of a nearly 12-year struggle. They currently reside in an RV close to work, as they’ve been tirelessly working on building their home on the reservation. Having power would allow them to spend more time in the area where Priscilla grew up and where her father continues to live.
Priscilla articulated how access to power would simplify their lives, saying, “Otherwise, everything seems to take twice as long.”
