The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced more than $100 million to help the Navajo Nation transition to green energy.
This investment from the Powering Affordable Clean Energy Program will fund solar-powered systems and a battery storage system for the nonprofit Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.
It is expected to generate more than 30 megawatts of renewable energy for its approximately 40,000 tribal customers in rural Arizona and New Mexico.
“We will be able to supply around 13,000 households with electricity every year,” said NTUA Managing Director Walter Haase. “This will allow us to have some power to provide for the families that don’t have access today.”
About 10,400 households on Navajoland still live without power. So not only will this federal funding help bring light to more homes, Haase explained, it will also make the entire power grid more reliable – which means fewer power surges.
“With battery storage we are now able to provide the low-cost electricity produced during the day in the few hours when the price is very high,” he added. That’s a cost saving.”