WASHINGTON – Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly and Arizona Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to award the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) a $235 million Rural Development loan for critical improvements to utility services on the Navajo Nation.
“The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority is critical to providing reliable electricity, water, and gas to the Navajo Nation. Today’s funding ensures the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s thousands of customers have access to affordable and reliable services,” said Sinema.
“The announcement of today’s funds will be key to increasing connectivity for the Navajo Nation at a time when it is needed most. Increased access to electricity in households will put the Navajo Nation on a stronger path to recovery from this economic and public health crisis,” said Kelly.
“Tribal utility authorities like NTUA provide necessary services to countless underserved families for whom reliable access to water and power is not always guaranteed. Today, I’m pleased to see the USDA make long-overdue investments available to these communities to improve and expand critical infrastructure. As an advocate for tribal infrastructure improvement projects in the House, I will continue to work with my colleagues and our federal agencies to ensure all available resources are being allocated to these overlooked areas,” said Congressman O’Halleran.
The USDA announced a $235.15 million Rural Development investment for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. The investment will be used to connect 1,340 consumers and build and improve 636 miles of line.
This loan will also fund transmission expansions and upgrades, headquarters and warehouse construction and the acquisition of 5,337 consumers, 144 miles of transmission line, and 221 miles of distribution line. The loan includes $29,412,189 in smart grid technologies. NTUA is headquartered in Fort Defiance, Arizona, serving approximately 41,500 accounts, over 10,698 miles of line in 6 counties in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
