Farmington, NM – January 8, 2026 – Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) is proud to announce the completion of the first 15 home solar installations funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for NTEC’s Navajo Sun Power! program. The DOE awarded NTEC $2.6 million in 2024 to support the company’s installation of 125 solar units on Navajo homes in rural parts of the Navajo Nation over the next five years. The DOE will cover 75 of the installations and NTEC will cover the cost for the remaining 50 homes.
“We’d like thank the U.S. Department of Energy for its support of NTEC’s Navajo Sun Power! program,” said Vern Lund, chief executive officer for NTEC. “The additional funding provided by DOE allowed us to expand NTEC’s program to provide more solar installations and improve the lives of citizens living on the Navajo Nation. This program makes a real difference in the lives of Navajo people who would not otherwise have access to electricity. We are thrilled to partner with DOE to make this a reality.”
The first 15 installations, completing the DOE funded projects for 2025, took place on homes in the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. According to Park regulations, these homes cannot have transmission lines or running water because they are in the park area. This means that they would not have any other way to generate electricity. All are full-time residents of the park in the Oljato Chapter, with several living on homesteads with multiple families. The new solar capabilities make heating, cooling, running water, and refrigeration possible within the homes, which is critical for the health and well-being of the residents.
“Usually when we go to the store, we buy some perishable food and have to use it up right away before it goes bad. Now we just put it in the fridge and use it later. I think having solar was a very good Christmas present,” said Loretta White, resident of Narrow Canyon. “We can’t thank you enough. It’s been many years coming.”
Another resident from Monument Valley, Valterra Sayetsitty, added “It’s very convenient with lights now. I don’t have to get gas for the generator anymore and the solar system is excellent and convenient.”
Navajo Sun Power! began in 2020 and has already installed 50 solar systems, worth approximately $1,250,000 on homes on the Navajo Nation. NTEC completed 25 installations beginning with the Western Agency in 2025, and will build 25 more each year thereafter, across the remaining four agencies. The DOE grant and NTEC cover 100 percent of the cost of the solar panel system and batteries, system installation including any minor electrical work necessary for the home to meet Navajo Nation electrical safety codes, and education in the operation and maintenance of the system.
About NTEC
Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC) is a world-class, diversified energy company with a unique purpose and vision. Established by the Navajo Nation to exercise sovereignty over its abundant natural resources, NTEC has grown rapidly and now has a sizeable and successful portfolio of mining and energy generation assets. NTEC is committed to achieving multi-generational, clean energy solutions that ensure the continued prosperity of the Navajo Nation while providing essential power to the entire Southwest and beyond.
NTEC is a leader in safety and reclamation and was recognized with the 2024 and 2022 Sentinels of Safety award from the National Mining Association, the Safety Award for Large Surface Mine from the Rocky Mountain Coal Institute, and the National Award for Excellence in Surface Mining Reclamation from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in 2024, 2022, and 2020. For more information about NTEC, visit www.navenergy.com.
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