Letters | Reacting to energy

Reacting to energy

Editor,
Economic Development was a topic discussed repeatedly throughout the Navajo Nation Presidential and Council Delegate Campaign of 2022. All candidates used these indicators – high unemployment, poverty, our people leaving the Rez, and continuous shopping sprees to border towns.

The current leadership promised us they would improve our Navajo economy by creating jobs and business developments. As of now, there is no equality in business development and no long term major economic development structure such as Clean Energy.

We heard from the Nygren-Montoya Administration that Navajo used to be a major Energy Tribe at one time. Navajo can still be an energy tribe and major energy player. Part of the problem is both the Administration and Navajo Nation Council just don’t want to deal with Clean Energy opportunities that are here today.

Clean Energy for Navajo includes Carbon Capture, Hydrogen, Helium, Natural Gas, Solar and Wind. Carbon Capture and Hydrogen could easily put Navajo Nation back on the map as an Energy Tribe.

There are four key players in Clean Energy development across Navajo: Oil & Gas in Eastern Agency, Four Corners Power Plant/NTEC, Escalante Power Plant and the new Proposed Hydrogen Pipeline. Oil and Gas, Coal Mining and Power Plants have hundreds of Navajo employees, Navajo Nation must do it all can to maintain those good paying jobs.

Four Corners Power Plant must transfer to Carbon Capture (much cleaner burning) production. The Escalante Power Plant must continue pursuing and converting to a Hydrogen/natural gas plant to maintain operations because Oil and Gas is the sources for the hydrogen, and it must continue to provide ongoing revenue for our Eastern Navajo citizens. These industries also have contractors associated with them.

The contractors have Navajo employees as well. The proposed Hydrogen pipeline will bring revenues to the Navajo Nation government and community benefit funds for impacted chapters. Long term, hydrogen hubs can be established, which can bring new businesses and energy for local Navajo people. The chapters, with the support of their voting citizens can demand a percentage of the revenue from these efforts for clean energy. Laws can be changed to better help the local communities.

Navajo Nation leaders, (Nygren-Montoya, 25th Navajo Nation Council and Chapter Officials) must take a position to support the Clean Energy development. Avoidance only indicates a lack of long-term economic vision. Yes, solar and wind are good sources of clean energies, but do they provide continuous employment and revenue? Our leaders like to prioritize social needs and divert funds to those needs.

Long lasting, major industry development sustains good jobs, which lowers poverty and social ills. Currently, the border towns provide economic security for many Navajos like jobs, housing, and goods and services.
To our Leaders, make Navajo Nation a Clean Energy production tribe again, make historic decisions, and get us moving towards self-reliance, again. Otherwise, we will continue to view our leadership as lacking economic vision/ability and only looking for Federal handouts. There must be leadership representatives at all energy related meetings including fossil fuels, oil and gas, and renewables. Not all Navajo People support renewables only, they want all energies because they bring jobs.

Marie J. Gray
La Plata, N.M.