FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 2017

CouncilmembersjoinNTUAincelebratingthecompletionoftheKayentaSolarFacility

PHOTO:CouncilDelegateAltonJoeShepherd,NavajoNationPresidentRussellBegaye,VicePresidentJonathanNez,NTUAofficials,andSRPpartnersduringtheribboncuttingceremonytomarkthecompletionoftheKayentaSolarFacilityinKayenta,ArizonaonAug.24,2017.

KAYENTA,Ariz.–OnThursday,CouncilDelegateAltonJoeShepherd(Jeddito,Cornfields,Ganado,KinDahLichíí,Steamboat)spokeonbehalfoftheNavajoNationCouncilattheopeningceremonyforthenewlyconstructedKayentaSolarFacility,whichislocatedapproximatelyfive-milesnorthofthecommunityofKayenta.Thecelebrationmarkedthecompletionofthefirst-everlarge-scalesolarfarmontheNavajoNation.

Thesolarfacility,locatedon300-acresofland,willprovideapproximately27.3-megawattsofsolarelectricity.NavajoTribalUtilityAuthorityenteredintoatwo-yearenergyandenvironmentalattributeagreementwiththeSaltRiverProjecttodevelopthesolarfarm,whichwasconstructedbyacompanyknownasIsoluxCorsan.

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Duringthecelebration,DelegateShepherdwhoservesaschairoftheResourcesandDevelopmentCommittee,commendedtheNTUA,SRP,Kayentacommunitymembersandlocalleaders,andIsoluxCorsanforsuccessfullycompletingthesolarfarm.

“Theprojectwassuccessfullycompletedduetostrongcommunityandleadershipefforts.Thisisthefirst-of-its-kindfortheNationandIstronglybelievethatourprayersandsongsmadeitpossible,”statedDelegateShepherd.

“Ialsowanttoextendmygratitudetothefamiliesthatvoluntarilygavetheirgrazinglandstobuildthefacility.ThefamiliestrulyknowthevisionandneedoftheNationandtheyhaveinvestedintoourchildren’sandNation’sfutureinrenewableenergy.ThefamilieslaidthefoundationfortheNationtoexplorerenewableenergy,”addedDelegateShepherd.

ThefamiliesofJohnTodacheene,BessieParrish,JeffersonYazzieBlack,andFlorenceParrish,whoeachheldgrazingpermitswithinarea,consentedtolandwithdrawalswithintheirdesignatedgrazingareastoallowNTUAandSRPtoconstructthesolarfarm.

NTUAgeneralmanagerWalterW.Haaseexpressedhisappreciationtothefamilies,communityleadership,andtheNation’sleadership.

“Theprojectwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutcontinuousleadershipsupport.ThePresidentandtheNavajoNationCouncilhavebeensupportivesincethebeginningoftheinitiative.TheCouncilknewtheinitiativewasimportantbecauseitwouldprovideelectricityforfamilies,createjobs,andcreateopportunitiesforsolarenergygrowth,”statedHaase.

Speakerofthe23rdNavajoNationCouncilLoRenzoBates(Nenahnezad,Newcomb,SanJuan,TiisTsohSikaad,Tse’Daa’Kaan,UpperFruitland)expressedhisgratitudetoalloftheentitiesforworkingcollaborativelytogetherandforsettingtheNavajoNationonapathtowardincreasedrenewableenergydevelopment.

“ThesolarfarmservesasamodelfortheNationtocoordinateanddevelopfutureprojects.RenewableenergydevelopmentremainsapriorityfortheCouncilandtheentireNavajoNation,”saidSpeakerBates.

PresidentRussellBegaye,VicePresidentJonathanNez,andofficialsfromtheKayentaTownshipandKayentaChapterwerealsoinattendanceatthecelebration.

AccordingtoNTUA,theKayentaSolarFacilityconsistsofover119,000photovoltaicpanels,whichfollowthedailypathofthesun.The27.3-megawattproductioncapacityprovidesenoughenergytoserviceapproximately13,000homes.Theservicelifeofthesolarfacilityisestimatedtoexceed25-years.NTUAcurrentlyprovideselectricitytoNavajocommunitiesservedbyNTUA.

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