Council Delegate Otto Tso, Big Navajo Energy president Dory Peters and the Lloyd Billy family at their residence near the community of Tuba City, Arizona. Billy's residence now has power and heating in his home. Submitted photo

TÓ NANEES DIZI, AZ — After living without electricity for over 40 years, Lloyd Billy now has power and heating in his home.

Navajo Nation Council Delegate Otto Tso (Tó Nanees Dizi), staff with the Office of the Speaker, and Big Navajo Energy president Dory Peters recently visited the home of Lloyd Billy, who lives near the community of Tuba City and installed a solar generator and heating system.

Big Navajo Energy is a Navajo owned renewable energy company offering solar/wind-battery based power systems that provide electricity for families that live in remote areas. The company has partnered with the Office of the Speaker to provide the power systems for families that reside in the Bennett Freeze Area. The Billy family is the second family to receive a power system as a result of the partnership.

Tso, who represents thousands of constituents affected by the Bennett Freeze policy, said he is thankful to Big Navajo Energy for seeking solutions that have the potential to help thousands of Navajo families.

"I'm happy to see the Billy family receive electricity. Many families continue to suffer due to the effects of the development freeze that was placed on this area, but we are working to change that and this represents another step in the right direction," he stated.

Tso and Speaker LoRenzo Bates (Nenahnezad, Newcomb, San Juan, Tiis Tsoh Sikaad, Tse’Daa’Kaan, Upper Fruitland) arranged for the company to donate solar/wind-battery based power systems and solar

heaters systems provided by SolarThermiX, which will provide basic amenities such as lighting and heating for the winter season.

Big Navajo Energy president Dory Peters said access to renewable technology will be one of the solutions to bring electricity to more than 18,000 families on the Navajo Nation that do not have electricity.

"This would not have been possible without the support from Speaker Bates and the efforts of Delegate Otto Tso, to assist with the installation for the Billy family. This is only the beginning for many other families that do not have any access to basic electricity. We are planning more installations for other families. The process of accessing clean and reliable electricity is our commitment for the Navajo Nation tribal members," Peters said.

Three families who reside the Bennett Freeze Area were selected by Navajo Nation council members to receive renewable energy generators and heaters as a way of addressing one of the council's top priorities — to bring clean and renewable energy to the Navajo Nation.

Tso said he was honored to join the family as their home became the second to receive a new energy system, adding that he hopes to see many more homes receive electricity.

Big Navajo Energy has access to portable renewable energy generators that are military grade and commercial industrial 1 to 200 megawatt size solutions that only require wind, solar, biomass or geothermal energy to power them. More information on the energy generators or the direct, emissions free solar thermal heating units is available at bignavajoenergy.com.