FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, alongside U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, recently assessed the energy needs on the Navajo Nation.
The answer is clear: clean energy.
Navajo Power Home, a for-profit company, is the only residential solar panel installer on the Navajo Nation. To date, they have provided electricity to 900 people across 270 homes, generating 600 kilowatts of peak solar energy.
Their mission is to deliver clean energy to off-grid homes throughout the Navajo Nation.
On August 28, Navajo Power Home announced a new partnership with Qcells, a global clean energy supplier.
To celebrate this partnership, U.S. DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk announced a $5 million grant to Navajo Power Home to support their ongoing efforts to provide solar energy to the Navajo people.
Chanse Foster, General Manager of Navajo Power Home, recalled a childhood memory of stealing her grandma’s candy bar from the fridge—a memory that underscores the significance of electricity in daily life.
For some, solar energy is merely about construction and maintenance. But for Navajo people like Foster and President Nygren, it represents the ability to store food and create new memories.
“That story really hit home for me,” said President Nygren. “I also grew up without electricity and running water. As President, that’s a memory I will never forget, and it’s an issue I’m determined to tackle.”
President Nygren has been in discussions with Deputy Secretary Turk for several months, emphasizing his goal to transition the entire Navajo Nation to clean energy.
“Our people have suffered trauma from the impacts of uranium and coal mining,” said President Nygren. “It’s time to heal—not just ourselves, but the land. Clean energy, like solar, is part of that healing process. Navajo Power Home, in partnership with Qcells, is making it happen.”
