{"id":16420,"date":"2025-09-23T20:24:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T20:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/fort-lewis-college-solar-initiative-brings-off-grid-energy-to-navajo-nation-communities\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:57:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:57:11","slug":"fort-lewis-college-solar-initiative-brings-off-grid-energy-to-navajo-nation-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/fort-lewis-college-solar-initiative-brings-off-grid-energy-to-navajo-nation-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Lewis College Solar Initiative brings off-grid energy to Navajo Nation communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Fort
Fort Lewis College's Village Aid Project Solar Initiative brings energy to Navajo Nation communities by setting up photovoltaic solar systems in off-grid residential areas. (Courtesy of Fort Lewis College)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

For some Navajo Nation families, power in the home is a luxury \u2013 not a given. Fort Lewis College\u2019s Village Aid Project Solar Initiative is trying to change that.<\/p>\n

Students, alumni and faculty \u2013 under the leadership of Professor Laurie Williams and first-generation FLC graduate and Din\u00e9 engineer Camille Keith \u2013 have completed 15 solar installations across Navajo Nation land since 2023, according to a news release <\/a>from the college.<\/p>\n

According to Williams, almost a third of the homes on the Navajo Nation \u2013 nearly 11,000 \u2013 don\u2019t have access to electricity.<\/p>\n

Installing residential, off-grid photovoltaic<\/a> solar systems is an in-depth process, Keith said.<\/p>\n

FLC students and volunteers create in-house designs on campus, including fabricating components, then take those parts to the rural areas being served, where the systems are assembled, and homeowners are educated on how to self-service the new systems.<\/p>\n

Williams called the installations \u201clife-changing\u201d for Navajo Nation community members who previously did not have power in their homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are elders out there that have medical needs, where they may have medicines that need to be refrigerated. Or they\u2019re on oxygen, but because they don\u2019t have electricity, they\u2019re not able to stay at home,\u201d Williams said. \u201cNow they\u2019ve been able to return and live where they want to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the homes have belonged to families of FLC students. One such student personally approached Williams to thank her for bringing power to his mother\u2019s house, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize that one of the sons was a Fort Lewis student,\u201d Williams said. \u201cAfter the system was installed, he sought me out to tell me how grateful his mom was, and I was like, \u2018Oh \u2013 I didn\u2019t realize you were from a home where you had no running water or electricity.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The AES Corp<\/a>., along with Marathon Petroleum, have invested in the program, according to a news release by the college. AES contributed $45,000 to fund student internships, equipment and travel, and Marathon Petroleum supported Keith with \u201cphilanthropic gifts, materials, and an on-the-ground fabrication,\u201d the release said. The release also noted additional monetary support for the program being gained through \u201cgenerous gifts\u201d from individuals.<\/p>\n

Keith, who had shown an interest in solar work, was brought into the project while she was still an engineering student at Fort Lewis College.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a first-generation student, and what the culture instills in us is, \u2018don\u2019t forget where you come from, and make sure you come back and help as much as possible,\u2019\u201d Keith said. \u201cI feel like that has been one of the prayers that (older generations) always prayed for: for us younger generations to get our education so we can help our nations and help our home \u2013 the U.S. I feel like this project has been fulfilling in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Volunteers camp on Keith\u2019s grandparent\u2019s property in Shonto while doing the installations, Keith said.<\/p>\n

The initiative not only installs photovoltaic systems, but also builds local capacity, fosters valuable mentorship and cultivates and upholds Indigenous leadership and energy justice, according to the college.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really powerful hands-on student engagement opportunity,\u201d Williams said. \u201c(Students) get to see how they can make a difference in somebody\u2019s life \u2013 someone that\u2019s just a couple hours from here, living such a different reality than they are \u2013 and I think that\u2019s very eye-opening for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keith said students with connections to the land and the culture have also benefited through feeling further connected to their roots.<\/p>\n

Building trust is an important part of working with Navajo Nation communities, Williams and Keith said.<\/p>\n

The Solar Initiative team signed a resolution approved by tribal leadership in the area where solar installations have been taking place, which followed a year of attending tribal meetings and gaining trust from the communities the team planned to serve, Williams said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody told me that partnerships happen at the pace of trust,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a partnership that\u2019s been slowly growing, but it\u2019s happening at the same pace that trust from the communities is growing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Solar Initiative serves one of the 113 Navajo Nation chapters, Keith said, with an intention to expand further in the future.<\/p>\n

Plans for the 2025-26 academic year include bringing power to around 10 homes, Williams said \u2013 but the hope is that this is just the beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy ability to to tackle 10 a year is not huge, but if I\u2019m also educating and inspiring our students to go on and continue this work, I hope that multiplies tenfold,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

This story has been updated to correct an error related to funds donated by Marathon Petroleum and AES Corp. <\/em><\/p>\n

epond@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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