Sending Aid to Power the Navajo Nation
Miles of vacant desert land often separate homesteads in the sparsely populated territory of the Navajo Nation. The summer months are a grueling combination of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and very little moisture. And many of the Nation’s people still endure the environment without access to electricity.
The Light Up Navajo initiative was launched as a collaboration between the Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority (NTUA) and the American Public Power Association to bridge this gap in electrification. The initiative’s sixth project since 2019 aimed to power 175 homes in remote parts of the Nation this summer.
Four United Power lineworkers volunteered to participate in the summer project. They were dispatched to New Mexico for a week in July. The crew included Foreman Zach Reynolds, Journey Lineworkers Ted Pierce and Dillon Scroggins, and Apprentice Lineworker Isaiah Segoviano.
“I did not know what to expect when I volunteered for this project,” said Reynolds. “It was a very humbling and eye-opening experience. It is crazy to think that we have the luxury of power every day, but we get upset and complain when the power goes out. Some of the Navajo people have lived more than 50 years without power.”
Reynolds and his crew would wake up as early as 5 a.m. to drive to the staging station before spending nearly an hour on the road to their work site. They spent the week setting poles and hanging line extensions under the hot sun.
It was frequently a challenge to set poles because of the loose dirt embedded with small stones and rocks. Using traditional equipment to dig post holes was nearly impossible due to the conditions, and it was common for holes to collapse.
The week ended with a larger project that included setting 40 poles to power a single residence on an isolated plot of land. Its occupants were the grandchildren of a former World War II code talker, a special unit of Marines who used their native Navajo language to create and transmit coded messages during the war. They were a crucial element in the victory.
“He was a code talker and a prisoner of war,” said Reynolds. “He waited his whole life to see his home energized, but he sadly passed just before our project powered his home.”
Reynolds said the NTUA emphasized meeting the families who received power.
“Meeting the families and hearing their testimonies was one of the most memorable experiences,” he said. “Until you see how they live, you don’t have any idea how impactful and life-changing this was for them.”
United Power crews have volunteered to help with Light Up Navajo on three separate projects since July 2024. The cooperative will continue to support this initiative on future projects.