Solar Solutions for the Navajo and Other Tribal Communities — Brett Isaac, Chairman of Navajo Power
Led by Founder and Executive Chairman Brett Isaac, Navajo Power develops large utility-scale solar and solar plus storage projects with a focus on providing energy access and economic benefits to the Navajo Nation and other tribal communities.
Listen to the Podcast
What is Navajo Power and what do you all do?
We are a utility-scale solar and energy storage development company with the mission of maximizing community benefit to the Navajo Nation. We started the company to bring the clean energy revolution to the tribal and indigenous communities that have been forgotten and left behind. We think there is a substantial opportunity to change how energy is perceived, the impact it has on land and people, and the opportunity it represents for economic impact. We have a couple of gigawatts of solar and solar plus storage projects in the pipeline on lands owned by the Navajo Nation and several other tribes throughout the country. Fundamentally, we want to change the way that the clean energy industry interfaces with these tribes in a way that benefits both parties.
Can you provide listeners with a better sense of where the Navajo Nation is located?
The Navajo Nation straddles three states: Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. The Navajo Nation also lies between four sacred mountains that are placed near Flagstaff Arizona, Albuquerque New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Durango, Colorado. The nation is growing as we purchase property from nearby property owners. From the perspective of Navajo Power, we have traditionally sought to develop projects in locations adjacent to utility infrastructure such as the Navajo Generating Station, but we are continuing to look for properties in other parts of the Southwest and Northwest.
Can you say more about the Navajo Generating Station and the impact that its decommissioning has had?
This Navajo Generating Station is a 2.25 GW coal-fired power station. The gradual decommissioning of the plant has had a tremendous economic and social impact. Most of my family is involved or indirectly involved in the coal industry, and many have been forced to relocate to find other economic opportunities, which of course creates social strain for these families. This story is the same for many other families that are part of the Navajo Nation. I think the closure of this plant speaks to the importance of the work that we are doing at Navajo Power to foster the next generation of clean technology that will both create economic opportunities and positive environmental impact.
Can you talk about how the power that was generated at this plant was distributed and used by the Navajo Nation and other more densely populated areas in the region?
One of the saddest aspects of this project was the fact that all the power from this facility that was sited on Navajo Nation ground was sent to facilitate the development of Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The majority of this power was used to transport water from the Colorado River to Tucson and Phoenix through the Central Arizona Project. As a consequence, energy access has remained a problem on Navajo Nation land despite the presence of this facility and the environmental externalities that it has created. One of our priorities as a solar developer is to address this inequity by providing these families on reservation lands access to the electricity that they have been denied for decades.
Can you provide some context as to the size of the energy access problem on Navajo Nation property?
I believe the majority of the unelectrified homes in the United States are on Navajo Nation property. There are somewhere between 15,000-18,000 homes on Navajo Nation property that lack access to electricity or reliable electricity. I think many of us do not realize that some of these homes that you drive by each day do not have running water although large transmission lines run overhead. I think there has been a lack of foresight and planning on a policy level historically. There is a region of Arizona called the Bennett Freeze that makes up the western region of the Navajo Nation. In 1966, the federal government put a freeze on development activity in the region as a means of addressing a land dispute. As a consequence, until President Obama undid this policy decision, the people that lived in this area were unable to develop the infrastructure that is needed to support modern life. Our company and the Nation itself have been working on plans to put some of this infrastructure in place, but it is demonstrative of the tough situation that many communities currently face.
Can you talk about the scale of the projects that you are developing?
We are developing projects that are 100 MW and larger because we believe that this is the scale where the economics are attractive enough to serve the interest of investors and communities simultaneously. Additionally, the transmission infrastructure that runs through Navajo Nation land is quite robust with lines of 500 kV and more because power has traditionally been sent long distances to Phoenix and Los Angeles. It is because these Southwestern cities continue to grow that we believe we can develop large projects that serve the increasing power demands of these populations while considering the needs and potential benefits to the people of the Navajo Nation. One of the projects we are developing called the Painted Desert Power Project is a 750 MW project near Coal Mine, Arizona, that sits near a transmission substation that provides power to Los Vegas and Los Angeles. These cities have committed to 100% clean electricity, and we want to work in service of those goals. We are also working on a product to bring distributed household-level solar plus storage devices to households that have traditionally lacked access to electricity. There are still some details to be worked out with several partner organizations, but it is something we hope to start deploying later this year.
Can you talk about your path to Navajo Power?
I grew up on the Navajo Nation 100+ miles from the nearest hardware store, which forces some kind of ingenuity, but also highlights the importance of efficiency and getting the most out of resources. In college, I studied policy and economic development to bring the expertise of energy, innovation, and economics closer to home. With these goals in mind, together with my brother and business partner Dan Rosen, who was one of the founders of Mosaic, we launched Navajo Power in pursuit of this mission. We want to provide clean cost-effective electrons to these communities, but more than that we want to empower people through our work.
What advice would you give yourself ten years ago?
I would highlight the importance of listening and being humble. There is a tremendous opportunity to listen and learn from elders and those with more experience than you. I think that I have largely done these two things. However, as someone who has a workman’s attitude, I wish that I would have taken the time to step back and take a picture once in a while to be able to share the journey and travels with the children of Navajo communities who often do not have these same opportunities to travel and have these experiences.
Do you have any daily habits or routines that keep you motivated and focused?
I have been a powerlifter since the fourth grade, so I certainly try to exercise to keep a strong base. I also practice meditation in different forms whether it be through active reflection or silent focused thought. I think it is important to recognize that you have to keep yourself fit before you can help others.
Do you have a book recommendation for listeners?
I would recommend Blood and Thunder as a good primer on the history and context of the Navajo Nation and what the Navajo Nation has been through in terms of interfacing with US cavalry forces and Spanish conquistadors. It helps the reader understand the impressiveness of the modern Navajo Nation with 300,000 members and a large land base.
Do you have a podcast recommendation?
The Indicator and Currents are two that I would recommend for staying up to date with financial and power market trends.
Do you have a quote that keeps you focused or motivated?
I enjoy sports analogies. I believe in the quote that “You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take” from Wayne Gretsky.
Do you have suggestions for those that would like to support your mission?
I would suggest that people check out our website where we have a weekly newsletter but also host events, such as roundtable discussions, that are meant to be inclusive windows into the work that we are doing in support of our broader mission.
Learn more.
Apply to our join our Climate Mastermind, an invite-only executive coaching group for climate CEOs and investors. We focus on faster business growth, better decision making, investor savvy, and stronger networks. Founded by Dr. Chris Wedding — with $1B of investment experience, 40,000 professional students taught, 25 years of meditation practice, and certification as a Mastermind Professional — our cohorts function like your own personal Board of Directors.
Sign up for ZERO newsletter (climate investment and startups, personal development and productivity).
Note:
THE TORCH is an interview series from Entrepreneurs for Impact. We profile CEOs and investors mitigating climate change. Our goal is to highlight their work and inspire others. As we deal with multiple crisis, from Covid and racial injustice to climate change and economic recession, we need some of this positive light in what seem like dark times. Onward and upward.