A total of 159 Navajo Nation homes are now receiving electric service as a result of work completed over several months this past Spring by crews from public power utilities across the U.S. that participated in Light Up Navajo, a project to extend electric service to households on the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
Light Up Navajo is a joint effort between the American Public Power Association and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. Light Up Navajo IV, which took place over several months this year starting in early April, brought together a total of 176 volunteers from 26 utilities from 16 states.
The following public power utilities and communities sent crews to participate in this year’s Light Up Navajo:
- Austin Energy - TX
- City of Newark - DE
- City of Troy - AL
- City of Westerville - OH
- Conway Corporation - AR
- Edmond Electric - OK
- Fayetteville Public Utilities - NC
- Grand River Dam Authority - OK
- Greenville Utilities – NC
- Hamilton Utilities – OH
- Lehi City – UT
- Littleton Electric Light & Water - MA
- Murray City Power - UT
- Norwich Public Utilities - CT
- Roseville Electric Utility - CA
- Sacramento Municipal Utilities District - CA
- Salt River Project - AZ
- Spanish Fork Power & Light - UT
- Town of Smyrna - DE
The following Investor-owned utilities and electric cooperatives also sent crews that participated in LUN IV:
- Arizona Public Service (IOU)
- Public Service Company of New Mexico (IOU)
- Central Wisconsin Electric Co-Op
- Delta-Montrose Electric Association (Colorado cooperative)
- Trico Electric Cooperative (Arizona)
- Wells Rural Electric Co-Op (Nevada)
In addition, Wisconsin’s Northcentral Technical College also participated in the 2023 LUN efforts.
In 2021 and 2022, electric line crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power completed work on the Navajo Nation for mutual aid training exercises that included extending electricity to Navajo homes. A total of 133 families were connected as a result of the LADWP training exercises.
Since the LUN project started in 2019, a total of 662 families have been connected.
“Light Up Navajo and the Mutual Aid training project have grown beyond expectations and the true beneficiaries are the families whose lives have positively changed forever,” said NTUA General Manager Walter Haase.
"Combined efforts made the difference and could not have been accomplished without the participation and support of our sister utilities. We are deeply grateful for these initiatives that encapsulate the American spirit of people helping people,” he said.
