College Program Brings Solar Power and Water to Navajo Families

Fort Lewis College’s Fundamental Needs Oasis Project and the Rural Clean Energy Partnership secured a 150,000 dollar Honnold Foundation grant on December 21 to expand off grid solar and clean water systems for families across the Navajo Nation. The funding will support installation of about 15 solar home systems and 550 gallon solar water systems in communities including Rock Point, Sweetwater, Red Mesa, Shiprock and Farmington, and will train high school and college students to install and maintain the systems.

Organizers said the initiative aims to bring lighting, refrigeration, water pumping and other essential power to unelectrified homes while building a workforce pipeline in renewable energy. For San Juan County residents, particularly in Shiprock and Farmington, the project targets immediate household needs and longer term economic opportunities. Access to reliable electricity can reduce reliance on hazardous alternatives, enable safe storage of medications, and support hygiene practices that lower infection risk in homes with limited infrastructure.

Training local students to install solar home systems and solar powered water systems creates hands on experience that can help young people access jobs in a growing sector. Project leaders framed the work as a dual effort to meet urgent basic needs and to create career pathways that can keep workers in place to serve their communities. Local participation also strengthens community ownership and can improve system sustainability through locally available maintenance skills.

The program highlights broader public health and equity issues that San Juan County faces, including the uneven distribution of basic services on tribal lands and the connection between energy access and health outcomes. While the grant funds a modest initial deployment, organizers and local advocates said continued investment and supportive policy will be needed to scale solutions across larger populations and to integrate workforce training into regional economic planning.

Implementation will proceed through coordinated training and installations, with community selection guided by need and readiness. The project offers a model for pairing direct service with education, and for addressing longstanding disparities by bringing clean energy and basic water infrastructure to families that have lacked reliable access.