While many parts of the United States got connected to the electric grid in the 1930s, following the Rural Electrification Act, the 27,000 square mile Navajo Nation was not. Since the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority was formed in 1959, it has worked to establish utility services for families and communities from across the vast Navajo Nation, which now has about 186,500 residents.
Just under one-third of residents do not have electricity. Recent efforts, especially the Light Up Navajo initiative, have helped NTUA connect nearly 8,000 families in the past 16 years.
| Year | Total Families Connected | |
| 2008 | 460 | |
| 2009 | 677 | |
| 2010 | 748 | |
| 2011 | 782 | |
| 2012 | 509 | |
| 2013 | 407 | |
| 2014 | 308 | |
| 2015 | 256 | |
| 2016 | 322 | |
| 2017 | 409 | |
| 2018 | 335 | Through funding from the Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Developments program, NTUA prepares a feasibility study on how a mutual aid-style approach could expedite electrification within the Nation. NTUA estimates that at least 15,000 families in its territory are not connected to electricity, and, without added help, the projected timeframe to connect all existing homes is 30-50 years. |
| 2019 | 460 | 233 families connected for the first time thanks to the efforts of 138 volunteers from 26 utilities for the pilot Light Up Navajo effort. |
| 2020 | 811 | About 150 crews from 25 utilities volunteer to help in the spring/summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented crews from traveling to help. NTUA received funding from the CARES Act to support its electrification efforts. |
| 2021 | 446 | Volunteers from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power assist in getting 80 families connected to electricity through a separate mutual aid training initiative. |
| 2022 | 475 | 137 families connected with the help of volunteer crews from 14 utilities for LUN. In the fall, LADWP and Austin Energy crews connect 53 families and help wire 62 homes. |
| 2023 | 383 | 159 homes connected with the help of volunteer crews from 26 utilities. |
| 2024-YTD | 170 | 170 families connected with help from 239 volunteers from 44 electric utilities for LUN. |
The Challenge to Connect
- 13,000 families remain without electricity
- $40,000 average cost to connect a new home
- $998 million-$1 billion cost to electrify all remaining unelectrified homes, including house wiring and transmission
- $945 current average annual electric bill for NTUA residential customer
- $6,000 average annual electric bill for all NTUA residential customers, if NTUA shouldered the full cost of electrification
- $30,579 median household income in the Navajo Nation (41% of U.S. median household income)
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