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Edmond Electric Trip to Navajo 2023. Photos courtesy City of Edmond. -
Edmond Electric Trip to Navajo 2023. Photos courtesy City of Edmond. -
Edmond Electric Trip to Navajo 2023. Photos courtesy City of Edmond.
A crew of seven linemen from Edmond Electric leaves this weekend for Window Rock, Arizona as part of Light Up Navajo V initiative, a mutual-aid program to extend electricity to homes in the Navajo Nation without the infrastructure to get that service.
This is the second year in a row that a team from Edmond Electric will participate in the project. Edmond Electric’s team will work alongside line personnel from other utilities from across the nation, as well as Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) electric crews to assist in line construction within the Navajo Nation.
The Light Up Navajo initiative was created in 2019 through a unique partnership between the American Public Power Association (APPA) and NTUA. Electric line workers from throughout the United States recently traveled to the Navajo Nation to help connect the homes of Navajo families to the electric grid.
Of course, volunteering to help is nothing new for Edmond Electric. Personnel and equipment from the City of Edmond utility have traveled throughout Oklahoma and as far away as Florida to help recovery efforts from weather-related impacts. In 2023, a crew traveled to Florida to help communities impacted by Hurricane Idalia, and a crew also traveled to Florida in 2022 to help communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.
“We have great partnerships with APPA and municipalities across the state and country,” said Glenn Fisher, Director of Edmond Electric. “There have been times when we have needed help, and we know we can count on people pitching in and helping, and so when we have an opportunity to be part of a great cause, we won’t hesitate.
“This crew is typical of that spirit of community and service we see daily at Edmond Electric. There never was a question of if we should help, but more how and when can we help? Whether it’s here in Edmond, in Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona or anywhere, the people who work here at Edmond Electric are always ready and willing to go and do what we can do to help make a difference.”
Learn more about the Light Up Navajo program at www.ntua.com/light-up-navajo.html.