‘It’s proven technology’: DOE awards Kayenta’s Nááts’íílid Initiative $1.2M to power 24 homes

TÓDINÉESHZHEE’

Twenty-four families residing near ‘Aghaałą́ and Tséyík’áán will get solar energy systems to power their homes. And they won’t make monthly payments.

“We don’t want them to have to pay monthly utility bills,” Tódinéeshzhee’ Delegate Nathaniel Brown said. “I know that’s probably not the best news for NTUA, right?

“Our people who are a fixed income, those who are not employed, they don’t have to pay,” he said. “They (would) not get behind on their utility bill. Our people depend on electricity and water. That’s the vision looking forward.”

This is possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who announced March 21 that the agency is providing nearly $9 million to help 13 tribes, including Alaska Native communities, with 14 energy projects that use either solar, hydro, or geothermal resources.

The agency awarded Tódinéeshzhee’ Chapter’s nonprofit Nááts’íílid Initiative $1.2 million for its solar energy project composing of 107 kilowatt-hour photovoltaic modules, a 347.8 kWh solar photovoltaic battery storage, a backup 168 kWh propane generator, and a broadband system for each home.

The engineers for the project are University of Utah’s Mingxi Liu, Mostafa Sahrael-Ardakani, Jianli Chen, and Shundana Yusaf – all of whom are professors in the electrical and computer engineering and in the architecture departments, respectively.

“This is important,” Brown said. “There’s more money coming from the federal government.”

Brown, along with community officials, pleaded with Granholm to streamline the process.

“The big part was not requesting for matching funds,” he said. “As a nonprofit, that’s the only way we’re able to expedite this. We had to create a nonprofit.”

The nonprofit that Brown’s team created is the Nááts’íílid Initiative, which addresses housing and infrastructure needs in the Tsiiłchinbii’tó, Deinihootso, and in the Tódinéeshzhee’ areas.

If the funds were awarded to the Navajo Nation for the Initiative’s project, the Nation would have taken a cut. And if the funds were awarded to the university, it would have taken more than 55%.

“This way, we can have the ability to spend a majority of the money,” Brown explained. “In this case, the funds will be used to purchase a microgrid solar system and a broadband system.

“And we can hire people locally to install,” he said. “We’re going to continue to write grants, and when we set these up, we want them to be autonomous.”

He added, “With our grant, the big difference is our people will not be paying anyone.”

Clean energy

Wahleah Johns, a Diné who leads the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, said this project is putting a 100-percent access to clean electricity for ‘Aghaałą́ and Tséyík’áán in Tódinéeshzhee’.

“This microgrid will provide power for a community that doesn’t have electricity access right now,” Johns said in an interview with the Navajo Times. “Improving the quality of life there but also helping to power internet service.”

The project would create five full-time temporary positions, and three full-time permanent positions.

“The cost is a $2.8 million dollar project and DOE funds is $1.2 million and its proposed cost share is $1.6 million,” Johns explained. “We’re really excited about this project. This is the first time (Kayenta Chapter) applied for a DOE grant.”

Johns said the DOE funded more than 200 projects over the last decade. Projects like Nááts’íílid Initiative’s project shows diversifying the use of renewable energy to reduce cost and more savings for a community.

“The Southwest has some of the best solar resources in the world,” Johns said. “And this proposal is a really strong proposal.

“The nice thing about solar PV and now with battery storage, it’s becoming more affordable throughout this country for residentially and community,” she said,

“A project like this is a steppingstone,” she said, “if the Nation wants to continue pursue this application of renewable energy to housing to residential to community buildings, it works. It’s proven technology.”

President Jonathan Nez told the Times that Kayenta leads the way for renewable energy development.

NTUA’s Kayenta I and II at the Kayenta Solar Project generates around 55 megawatts, enough to power 36,000 Diné homes and businesses across Diné Bikéyah. The Project area has two large PV fields. Kayenta I was completed in May 2017 and came online the following month. Kayenta II followed in September 2019.

Nez said Nááts’íílid Initiative’s project would improve the quality of life for the 24 families.

“Congratulations to Kayenta Chapter, you all are an inspiration to our Navajo people,” Nez added.

Lizana Pierce, the principal engineering expert for DOE’s director and deputy director, said the project is near and dear to her team’s heart.

“Because it will improve the quality of life of this community and families,” she said in an interview. “One of our priorities is to provide energy access to those in Indian Country that have gone without.

“This could be a model for chapters across Navajo, and for other tribes,” she added.

---