KAYENTA, AZ- Thousands of people throughout the Navajo Nation live without running electricity or water. For the past 16 years, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has worked to end that. 

So far, they have brought power to almost 8,000 homes, and it’s time to wrap up year five of that effort. 

“At this one homestead you can hear the generator behind you, that family will be able to put it to rest, and not use that generator anymore because they’ll get the electricity that they’ve been waiting so long for,” said Deenise Becenti, a NTUA spokesperson.  

There are 13,000 families on the Navajo Nation that do not have electricity. That’s where the Light-Up Navajo initiative comes in. It is a humanitarian mutual aid initiative, made by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. 

It’s year five of the initiative and for the past 13 weeks crews from in and out of state came to the Four Corners to help connect as many homes as they can to the grid.  

“This year, the Light-Up Navajo visited and connected homes in 25 different Navajo communities,” said Becenti. 

In addition to building over 50 miles of power, they were able to surpass their goal of 150 and connect about 200 families throughout Shiprock, Naschitti, and the Utah/Arizona Navajo region, leading to a positive change of living. 

“Families who have had to store their fresh food in ice chests, who have had to use generators, Light-Up Navajo answerer that burned and erases that daily challenge for families,” said Becenti. 

It’s not just New Mexico utility crews helping out, a crew from Alabama are finishing up work for this year’s Light-Up Navajo 5 Initiative. 

This time around, they’ve had 48 different crew members across 16 different states come out.

“We’re here to light up Navajo,” said Caleb Duncin the lead linemen of Dixie Electrical Operative.  

Duncin is the lead lineman for the final crew working on this site, and he’s happy his crew can make a difference for these families. 

“They have been waiting 20 years to have power,” said Duncin. 

Many expressed their gratitude, and some already have plans for what will be used first. 

“The first things we’re going to be A/C and refrigeration,” said Duncin. 

This year’s multi-funded project is estimated to cost $1.8 million, but the job is still far from done. 

Becenti says that the work is going to continue, and they’re already planning for next year’s initiative happening next spring. 

“We’ve exceeded our goals, but we know our challenge is still there because there’s still thousands of families still waiting for electricity,” said Becenti.