By Craig Anderson

SMYRNA — Some lighthearted local electric workers energized four homes in Arizona’s Navajo Nation in late April.

There was a lot of ground to cover on the reservation, but the municipal staffers were up to the task.

The four lineworkers for the town of Middletown and another from Smyrna volunteered for the Light Up Navajo project, which brings electricity to Navajo households lacking it in that area.

The crew stayed in Arizona from April 20-28, raising poles and stringing wires to connect powerless homes. The farthest was about two-and-a-half hours from their base camp.

The Delaware Municipal Electric Corp. has been participating in this initiative for five years. It was crew leader Jeff Wood’s third time traveling to Navajo Nation from Smyrna.

“It was nice,” he said of his latest visit, which included a snowfall. “The Navajo people are great, and they treat you like family. They are very appreciative of people coming out to help them. This is such a big problem, and just to come out here and do our little part is rewarding.”

Middletown employees participated for the first time in 2024. They included Kenneth Branner III, Matthew Palmer, Jake McMaster and Joseph Maiorano.

For Mr. McMaster, “One of the most memorable things was when we actually got to the Navajo Nation, and just to see the landscape and the way people live was pretty impressive. They’re very resilient on how they live with the resources they have, which (is) pretty old-school stuff.”

Once the electricity was connected, he added, “it was very rewarding to see the faces ... and very humbling to watch them turn a light on in their house after you energize them. It was pretty neat.”

The project is operated by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority in partnership with the American Public Power Association and runs April 7 through July 20. Forty-two electric utility companies from 16 states are scheduled to take part, with a goal of lighting up at least 200 homes, according to the authority.

“We are grateful for the outside utilities who want to help bring positive change for families waiting for electricity,” said the agency’s general manager Walter Haase in a news release. “The communities these utilities represent learned about our challenges and were prompted to be a part of this dramatically meaningful project.”

He added that the effort brings “basic modern conveniences,” like heating and refrigerated food, to those who have been going without.

And, “with electricity the families can also prepare for water and broadband services. Light Up Navajo fulfills the ultimate goal, ... to help make life easier and (it) helps lift burden for so many families.”

The Delaware Municipal Electric Corp., which includes the municipalities of Middletown, Smyrna, Milford, Seaford and Newark, remains committed to the program.

“We started out in the program in 2019, and the same reasons why we support this still exist today,” said president and CEO Kimberly Schlichting. “It was just that need to help other people in need in making sure the essential service of electricity was going to be provided to all in America who wanted it and making sure we could help make that a reality for people who have never had it before.”

She learned after the trip last month that “one of the homes they lit up and brought electricity to would have been on the list for another 10 years, so to have it brought to them is truly making a big difference in people’s lives.”

For information on Light Up Navajo, visit ntua.com/light-up-navajo.html.