Solar Power Brings Light and Hope to Remote Navajo Nation Homes

FARMINGTON, NM – January 08, 2026 – For Loretta White, a resident of Narrow Canyon within the sprawling beauty of Monument Valley, the hum of a new refrigerator is the sound of a long-awaited promise fulfilled. “Usually when we go to the store, we buy some perishable food and have to use it up right away before it goes bad. Now we just put it in the fridge and use it later,” she said. “I think having solar was a very good Christmas present. We can't thank you enough. It's been many years coming.”

White’s home is one of the first 15 to receive a complete off-grid solar power system through the Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s (NTEC) ‘Navajo Sun Power!’ program. The initiative, boosted by a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), marks a significant step toward electrifying one of the most underserved regions in the United States. The project aims to install solar units on 125 homes across the Navajo Nation over the next five years, bringing modern necessities to families who have lived without them for generations.

The initial installations targeted residents within the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, an area where park regulations prohibit the construction of transmission lines. For these families, off-grid solar is not just an alternative; it is their only viable path to electricity. The new systems are making heating, cooling, and reliable lighting possible, fundamentally transforming daily life.

Addressing a Legacy of Energy Poverty

The arrival of electricity in these homes addresses a deep and persistent disparity. Across the vast Navajo Nation, which spans three states, an estimated 13,000 households still live without access to electricity—a figure that accounts for the majority of all unelectrified tribal homes in the entire country. While the national average for unelectrified households is just over 1%, nearly 15% of Native American households lack power, a gap that is even wider on the Navajo reservation.

This modern-day reality is rooted in a history of exclusion and neglect. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which modernized much of the American countryside, largely bypassed tribal lands. This was compounded by the “Bennett Freeze,” a federal policy that halted nearly all development, including infrastructure, on 1.6 million acres of Navajo land from 1966 until 2009. The policy left a legacy of arrested development that communities are still working to overcome.

Ironically, the Navajo Nation has long been a center for energy extraction, with its coal and uranium resources helping to power cities across the Southwest. This history has created what many describe as “energy colonialism,” where the benefits of resource development flowed off the reservation, while many of its own citizens remained in the dark. Extending the electrical grid to remote homesteads is often prohibitively expensive, with costs averaging $40,000 per home and the total bill for electrifying the remaining homes estimated to exceed $1 billion. This economic barrier makes decentralized solutions like the ‘Navajo Sun Power!’ program not just practical, but essential.

A Model for Tribal Energy Sovereignty

The collaboration between NTEC, a tribally owned entity, and the federal government represents a powerful model for achieving tribal energy sovereignty. The DOE grant covers the cost of 75 installations, with NTEC funding the remaining 50. The funding, managed through the DOE’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, is part of a broader federal push to support tribal energy development, bolstered by recent legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“We’d like thank the U.S. Department of Energy for its support of NTEC’s Navajo Sun Power! program,” said Vern Lund, NTEC's chief executive officer, in a statement. “This program makes a real difference in the lives of Navajo people who would not otherwise have access to electricity.”

By taking the lead, NTEC is not only providing a critical service but also building a framework for self-determination. The program covers 100 percent of the costs, including the solar panel system, batteries, installation, and any minor electrical work needed to bring homes up to code. Crucially, it also includes education for residents on how to operate and maintain their new systems, empowering them to manage their own power source. For residents like Valterra Sayetsitty of Monument Valley, the change is immediate and profound. “It’s very convenient with lights now,” she commented. “I don't have to get gas for the generator anymore and the solar system is excellent and convenient.”

From Coal to Sunlight: A Just Transition in Action

This initiative is also a key chapter in the evolving story of NTEC itself. Formed in 2013 to acquire the Navajo Mine, the company’s foundation is in coal, a resource that has long fueled the Navajo Nation’s economy but faces a declining future. The ‘Navajo Sun Power!’ program, which began in 2020 and has now installed 50 systems in total, represents a strategic diversification and a commitment to a “just transition.”

As the nation moves away from fossil fuels, NTEC is actively investing in renewable energy to create a new economic base while directly addressing the needs of its community. This pivot acknowledges the vast, untapped solar and wind potential of the Navajo Nation and seeks to harness it for the benefit of the Navajo people. The program demonstrates how an energy company rooted in traditional resources can lead the charge toward a sustainable future, ensuring that the benefits of the clean energy economy are distributed equitably.

For families who have waited decades, the impact of these solar panels extends far beyond simple convenience. It means children can do homework under bright, reliable light instead of a kerosene lamp. It means families can store fresh food and life-saving medications like insulin. For some, it means being able to power essential medical equipment without the noise and expense of a gas generator. As NTEC prepares to build 25 more systems each year across the Nation’s remaining four agencies, each installation represents another family gaining access to the health, safety, and opportunity that electricity provides.