The U.S. Department of the Interior will allocate funds to electrification projects to on the Hopi, Navajo and San Carlos Apache reservations.
It’s part of an effort that focuses on bringing renewable energy to homes throughout 21 Indigenous communities in the lower 48 states and Alaska.
Under the program, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority will receive 10 million dollars with 4.2 million going to the Hopi Utilities Corporation.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland made the announcement on a recent visit to Hopi.
The trip also included stops on the White Mountain Apache reservation and the Pueblo of Zuni in New Mexico.
Nearly 15 percent of households in Indian Country lack electricity, a figure that’s 10 times higher than the national average.
Most of the almost 17,000 homes that aren’t connected to the grid are in the Southwest and Alaska.