The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and AVANGRID on April 17 announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore opportunities to develop up to 1 gigawatt of green energy projects within the Navajo Nation in the states of New Mexico and Arizona.
“This partnership will allow the two parties to collaborate and study the feasibility of developing wind and solar projects, as well as battery storage solutions, to create new jobs, create economic development on the Navajo Nation, offset lost revenue on the Navajo Nation, and bring reliable, affordable, and renewable energy to power Navajo Nation businesses and residents,” a news release related to the MOU said.
“NTUA Generation has been working diligently to explore renewable energy development opportunities on the Navajo Nation with the promise of new jobs and clean green energy,” said NTUA General Manager Walter Haase. “We do believe the partnership we have with AVANGRID will advance clean green energy development on the Navajo Nation and will help provide benefits to the communities served by NTUA,” Haase said. “We look forward to the progress this partnership will bring.”
“The Navajo Nation appreciates Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s efforts in the clean energy generation space. As a wholly owned entity of the Navajo Nation, the utility’s tenacity and development of partnerships shows what can be accomplished,” said Navajo Nation President Nygren.
As part of the partnership, AVANGRID and NTUA will explore how the projects being contemplated could benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA “opens a path to meaningful emissions reductions in Indian tribes through the development of projects that can help them transition to a cleaner energy economy,” the news release said.
NTUA was established on January 22, 1959, to address the absence of utilities on the 27,000 square-mile Navajo Nation. Since then, NTUA has grown into a self-sustaining, not-for-profit, successful tribally-owned enterprise.
NTUA is organized for the operation, maintenance and expansion of electric, communications, natural gas, water, wastewater and generation, including off-grid residential solar services for the Navajo people at reasonable costs.
In addition to providing multi-utility services, other objectives of NTUA are to promote employment opportunities on the Navajo Nation, and to improve the health and welfare of the residents of the Navajo Nation while improving the standard of life.
NTUA Renewable Energy Projects
NTUA has already been actively pursuing renewable energy projects.
In early 2022, officials with NTUA, Arizona's Salt River Project, and leaders of the Navajo Nation agreed to extend an agreement that paved the way for the first-ever, large-scale utility solar farm on the Navajo Nation, the “Kayenta I” facility.
The groups also signed a contract for a new, 200-megawatt solar resource on the Navajo Nation called “Cameron Solar” that is set to be operational by the end of 2023.
The SRP Board of Directors approved a long-term energy and environmental-attribute agreement through March 2038 from the 27-MW Kayenta I portion of the Kayenta Solar generation facility.
