AVANGRID (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and part of the Iberdrola Group, and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), the largest multi-utility enterprise owned and operated by a Native American tribe, today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to develop up to 1 GW of green energy projects within the Navajo Nation in the states of New Mexico and Arizona.
This partnership will allow the two parties to collaborate and study the feasibility of developing wind and solar projects, as well as battery storage solutions, to create new jobs, create economic development on the Navajo Nation, offset lost revenue on the Navajo Nation, and bring reliable, affordable, and renewable energy to power Navajo Nation businesses and residents.
“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration with the NTUA, which allows us to join efforts to study and develop green energy projects with the potential of bringing important benefits to the region”, said Pedro Azagra, CEO of AVANGRID. “Partnerships like these reflect our steadfast commitment to making a meaningful, positive impact in the lives of the families in the communities where we are present.”
“NTUA Generation has been working diligently to explore renewable energy development opportunities on the Navajo Nation with the promise of new jobs and clean green energy,” said NTUA General Manager Walter Haase.
“We do believe the partnership we have with AVANGRID will advance clean green energy development on the Navajo Nation and will help provide benefits to the communities served by NTUA,” Haase said. “We look forward to the progress this partnership will bring.”
“The Navajo Nation appreciates Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s efforts in the clean energy generation space. As a wholly owned entity of the Navajo Nation, the utility’s tenacity and development of partnerships shows what can be accomplished,” said Navajo Nation President Nygren.
“This partnership is transformative and exactly what the Inflation Reduction Act was intended to encourage. AVANGRID and Navajo Nation’s commitment to explore opportunities together to build clean energy projects will create new revenue streams and lower energy costs for New Mexicans. I hope to see many more innovative partnerships in the coming months and years”, said U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich.
As part of this partnership, AVANGRID and NTUA will explore how the projects being contemplated could benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”), the largest climate investment in the U.S. and global history. The IRA opens a path to meaningful emissions reductions in Indian tribes through the development of projects that can help them transition to a cleaner energy economy.
About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $40 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs more than 7,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2023, AVANGRID ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. AVANGRID is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About NTUA: The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) was established on January 22, 1959, to address the absence of utilities on the 27,000 square-mile Navajo Nation. Since then, NTUA has grown into a self-sustaining, not-for-profit, successful tribally-owned enterprise. NTUA is organized for the operation, maintenance, and expansion of electric, communications, natural gas, water, wastewater and generation, including off-grid residential solar services for the Navajo people at reasonable costs. In addition to providing multi-utility services, other objectives of NTUA are to promote employment opportunities on the Navajo Nation, and to improve the health and welfare of the residents of the Navajo Nation while improving the standard of life.
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