If you live in Los Angeles, you probably didn’t know that until last year the Navajo Nation had helped power the city with energy from a reservation coal plant. The plant was shut down, but this partnership will live to see another, greener, day. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to partner with the tribe to turn the former coal plant into a renewable energy hub including solar, wind, and hydropower.
This is a win-win-win for LA, air quality, and the Navajo Nation, which is missing some $40 million in yearly revenue since the plant closed. If it succeeds, this new partnership would allow the Navajo Nation to continue to provide power for LA as well as neighboring states such as New Mexico and Nevada.
Aside from the plant, the Navajo Nation has also been expanding its own Kayenta Solar facility, which aims to provide renewable energy for the 15,000 families on the reserve who lack reliable electricity.
LA is working on its own Green New Deal and plans to go 100 percent renewable by 2045. This continued partnership would play a big role in achieving this goal. If all goes well, the coal plant could be cleaned up by 2022 to pave the way for a greener renewable energy collaboration. Mutually beneficial renewable energy solutions like this are key for creating a socially and environmentally friendly future.
