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Arizona senators invest in solar energy for tribes

A man stands at the end of a solar panel array at a solar project site, Sept. 15, 2016, on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 40 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
AP Photo/John Locher
A man stands at the end of a solar panel array at a solar project site, Sept. 15, 2016, on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 40 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Arizona Senators Krysten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced over $87 million in funding today for solar projects that benefit tribal homes.

The Hopi Nation, where roughly a third of houses lack access to electricity, will receive $25 million for solar systems.

Another $62 million will go to the Grid Alternatives’ Western Indigenous Network Solar for All program. It’s a nationwide program with a focus on Western states.

Sinema and Kelly say the investment will create jobs, increase energy access, and reduce carbon emissions.