U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited the Navajo Nation Thursday to discuss renewable energy development on tribal lands.
She and Arizona Congressman Tom O’Halleran met with Navajo President Jonathan Nez and several Navajo Council delegates.
They toured the Kayenta Solar facility that provides 55-megawatts of power, electrifying about 36,000 homes on the reservation.
The Department of Energy recently awarded the tribe $1.2 million grant to construct a solar microgrid and battery storage to provide energy for two dozen homes in the Kayenta Chapter.
The Navajo Nation has also developed other solar projects in Cameron and Red Mesa among other sites.
It was Granholm’s second visit to the Navajo Nation since becoming energy secretary.