DMEA Team Helps Bring Power and Hope to Navajo Nation

Montrose, CO — Light Up Navajo is more than a project—it is a promise to bring power and opportunity to families who’ve waited far too long. Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) is proud to support this life-changing initiative for the third year, working alongside other cooperatives to bring electricity to the Navajo Nation, where nearly 10,000 homes are still without power.

DMEA sent a dedicated crew of 11 employees on a week-long mission this year. Their work energized three previously unserved homes and helped build critical infrastructure, including setting more than 30 poles and reconductoring over a mile and a half of line across rugged terrain, including a major canyon crossing.

While DMEA remains committed to serving its members on Colorado’s Western Slope, the cooperative also embraces the broader responsibility of helping others in need. In alignment with Cooperative Principles #6 and #7, Cooperation Among Cooperatives and Concern for Community, DMEA is honored to support fellow electric providers and lend a hand to underserved communities.

Because for DMEA, helping neighbors—whether next door or hundreds of miles away—is just part of what it means to be a cooperative.

“DMEA joined the Light Up Navajo effort because we believe in the power of community, cooperation, and being a good neighbor,” said Jack Johnston, Chief Executive Officer of Delta-Montrose Electric Association. “As the first Colorado utility to sign on, we were proud to lead the way and help bring electricity—something many of us take for granted—to American families who have waited years. This work is deeply rooted in the same spirit that drove rural electrification in the 1930s. Today, central station power means more than just lights; it brings access to clean water, refrigerated food, climate control, education, and health care. I was proud to work alongside our outstanding crews who volunteered to be part of this life-changing effort and show how co-ops unite to make a lasting difference, even beyond their own service areas.”

The Light Up Navajo initiative, led by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and the American Public Power Association, aims to connect the nearly 14,000 Navajo homes without electricity. DMEA’s participation reflects the cooperative’s ongoing commitment to service, community, and bridging the digital and energy divides.

Learn more about the Light up Navajo initiative.