Navajo Nation Advances Efforts to Electrify Homes Across Reservation

Despite federal funding and volunteer support, thousands of Navajo homes remain without electricity due to logistical and financial challenges.

Lorraine Black and Ricky Gillis recently connected to the power grid after a five-year wait, highlighting ongoing electrification efforts on Navajo Nation.
About 32% of Navajo homes still lack electricity, with significant federal funding allocated to improve infrastructure on the reservation.
The Light Up Navajo program, which began in 2019, has connected 882 families to the grid, but full electrification could take 26 more years at current funding levels.
Challenges include the reservation's rugged geography, vast distances between homes, and the high cost of connecting the remaining 10,400 homes.
Federal initiatives like the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have provided substantial funding, but bureaucratic and logistical hurdles slow progress.