SRP Offers Additional Aid to Power 12 Navajo Nation Homes This Fall

Salt River Project (SRP) crews returned to remote areas of the Navajo Nation to provide reliable electricity to 12 families in the areas of Dilkon and Tuba City. This effort was part of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) Mutual Aid Training 2025, a branch of the Light Up Navajo (LUN) initiative.

This fall, SRP crews dedicated a total of 3,302 hours to energize 12 homes.

The LUN initiative brings together public power utilities from across the country to accelerate electrification in the Navajo Nation, where 75% of all unelectrified homes in the U.S. are located. SRP has supported every spring campaign since the initiative launched in 2019, providing crews and specialized equipment.

Due to delays in the spring electrification schedule, NTUA requested additional support from SRP for its fall Mutual Aid Training 2025 campaign. The program provides hands-on field training in challenging terrain while connecting homes to the electric grid.

This fall also presented unexpected weather and logistical challenges with heavy rain and flooding in some areas.

“Hurricane Priscilla caused heavy rain throughout the reservation, forcing our team to relocate from our original work site,” said Marc Sienicki, Foreman Lineman at SRP. In some areas, the rain reached almost 7 inches, making it very difficult to maneuver our vehicles. In fact, we had to leave one of our trucks behind for a few days and retrieve it just one day before returning to Phoenix. Despite the challenges, we were able to connect many families to power, and that is what matters to us.” 

With the help of seven utilities during the fall campaign, an estimated 90 homes will be electrified—bringing the total to 290 homes by year’s end.

“We are deeply grateful for the electric connection,” said Ramona Valdez a resident of Tonalea Arizona. “We have relied on a portable generator for more than two years. The generator is small and doesn’t provide enough power for our whole house. We have three kids and one on the way, so I’m very happy to have electric power before the new one arrives. We are very excited and thankful.”

Without support from public power utilities, NTUA estimates it could take more than 50 years to bring electricity to every home in the Navajo Nation.

“The average cost to connect a single home to reliable power in the reservation is about $40,000. If NTUA had to rely on low-interest loans, customers would pay up to six times more each year to cover those costs,” said Walter W. Haase, NTUA General Manager. “Thanks to SRP and other utilities, Navajo families will have access to reliable and affordable energy.”

Across both the spring and fall 2025 campaigns, SRP dedicated a total of 6,624 hours to install 279 poles, 19 transformers and 157,969 feet of electrical line, bringing power to 21 families.