Light Up Navajo V is officially underway

FORT DEFIANCE – The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, in partnership with the American Public Power Association, has officially launched Light Up Navajo V. This year, 42 electric utility companies from 16 states will participate in the LUN V initiative, which will run from April 7 to July 20.

Over 250 electric line workers will be traveling to the Navajo Nation over the next few months to help connect the homes of Navajo families to the electric grid. The goal is to connect at least 200 homes. Visiting lineworkers will be working with NTUA electric crews. The visiting crews represent utilities located in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

This week, the LUNV are from the Salt River Project in Phoenix and the Grand River Dam Authority from Oklahoma. They are working on projects in the tribal communities of Dilkon and St. Michaels, Arizona, and Naschitti and Tohatchi, New Mexico. Each week, they will be working on shovel-ready projects.

In 2023, 26 utility companies from 16 states sent their electric crews to participate in Light Up Navajo III, which extended electric power to 159 homes from April to July.

“We are grateful for the outside utilities who want to help bring positive change for families waiting for electricity,” said NTUA General Manager Walter Haase. “The communities these utilities represent learned about our challenges and were prompted to be a part of this dramatically meaningful project.”

Light Up Navajo was created through a partnership with the American Public Power Association. APPA has a mutual aid program that sends electric crews to areas hit by natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. When those events occur, utility companies send crews to assist with power restoration. The concept was presented to APPA members.

Light Up Navajo has become a unique mutual aid initiative that has brought together utility companies that represent public power, rural cooperatives, and independent system operators, such as the Public Service Company of New Mexico and Arizona Public Service.

“Together, the visiting line workers will help to provide families with the basic modern conveniences made possible by electricity, such as lighting, heating, air conditioning, and refrigerated food. With electricity the families can also prepare for water and broadband services,” Haase said. “Light Up Navajo fulfills the ultimate goal of to help make life easier and helps lift burden for so many families.”