SRP employees help bring electricity to Navajo Nation
Salt River Project crews recently participated in the Light Up Navajo initiative to bring electricity to homes on the Navajo Nation.
SRP line crews spent two weeks working on the effort in an area where homes are often spread out, requiring several miles of poles and electrical lines to provide power to a single house, according to a Salt River Project release.
SRP crews installed 137 poles, 16 transformers and 82,467 feet of electrical line to bring electricity to 17 homes.
“Working on the Navajo Nation poses unique challenges we do not encounter in urban areas. The absence of roads, dust carried by the winds and the adjustment to high altitude all contribute to the complex conditions,” Alex Apodaca, an SRP lineman from Chandler, said.
“However, witnessing families gain access to reliable energy is extremely rewarding and makes it all worth it.”
Working Foreman Marc Sienicki, also of Chandler, said: “We are bringing power to people who have never had it. I love to see people turning power on for their first time and not having to start a generator. I hope to continue going there year after year.”
SRP was one of 38 volunteer utilities from 16 states participating in this year’s Light Up Navajo project. To date, SRP crews have brought electricity to 114 homes through the LUN initiative.
“We are grateful to SRP. This humanitarian initiative was created to help ease the daily burdens for families living without electricity,” Navajo Tribal Utility Authority General Manager Walter Haase said.
“Without electric power the families cannot cook meals, heat up their homes, or power up computers, tablets, and charge their mobile phones.”
This is the fourth year SRP has participated in LUN, donating employee time and the use of line trucks, digging equipment and mechanic service trucks, officials of the Tempe-based utility said.
NTUA will continue its efforts through the end of July with the goal of bringing power to over 200 families spread across thousands of miles.