PEABODY — The Peabody Municipal Light Plant (PLMP) has donated surplus equipment to help with the rural electrification of Navajo Nation, a Native-American territory that is located in the Western United States.
The program, Light Up Navajo Project, is a joint venture between the American Public Power Association (APPA) and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA).
“PMLP is continually looking for ways to support the community and those in need,” said PLMP Manager Joseph Anastasi. “This was one of those cases. We had some valuable surplus equipment; Navajo Nation needed help; we got to connect and deliver.”
About 700 outdoor fuse cutouts — valued at more than $70,000 — will help to bring power to families in Navajo Nation.
The Native-American territory is the largest reservation in the United States, located in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Starting in 2019, volunteer crews from many public-power utilities joined forces with APPA and NTUA to install the infrastructure needed to deliver electricity to these homes.
Nearly 30 percent of homes in the Navajo reservation lack electricity. In comparison, almost all other homes in the country have access to electricity.
Without power, there is a lack of access to running water, reliable lighting, modern forms of home heating and cooling, and appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves, according to APPA.
The cutouts donated by PMLP are made of porcelain, a substance that is less reliable in the harsh New England climate, especially during the hot summer months and cold winter months. The relatively stable temperature in Navajo Nation is a better environment for these porcelain cutouts.
PMLP now uses a similar cutout made from a polymer material following a unanimous vote by the Peabody Municipal Lighting Commission (PMLC) — a five-member board that represents PMLP ratepayers — to authorize the change.
“PMLP has always been about reliable power in our service territory,” said PMLC Chairman Thomas D’Amato. “The commission is happy to help our counterparts on Navajo Nation enjoy the benefits of a stable energy supply.”
NTUA Deputy General Manager Srinivasa Venigalla said the cutouts “will make a difference for the families who have been waiting for electricity here on the Navajo Nation.”
Anastasi said PMLP was happy to help. He said these initiatives are beneficial to everyone involved.
“It’s a win-win for everyone,” he said.
PMLP is a community owned, not-for-profit utility company serving residents of Peabody and South Lynnfield.
