Riviera Utilities will send a team of electric lineworkers to the Navajo Nation this month as part of a nationwide effort to bring electricity to families who have never had it.

The utility will dispatch 10 lineworkers to Chinle, Arizona, in partnership with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and the American Public Power Association, a news release said. The crew is scheduled to travel April 10-11, work in the field April 12-17 and return April 18-19.

The effort is part of Light Up Navajo, a mutual aid initiative launched in 2019 that brings utility crews from across the country together to extend electric service to some of the most remote areas in the United States. The program has connected hundreds of homes to the grid, including more than 170 homes in 2024 alone, helping reduce the number of households nationwide without electricity.

Despite being the largest Native American territory in the country, the Navajo Nation still has thousands of families living without access to power. Many residents must travel long distances to obtain water, rely on generators or ice chests to preserve food and go without consistent heating, cooling or lighting.

“Projects like this remind us why we do what we do,” President and CEO of Riviera Utilities Brian Skelton said in the release. “Electricity is foundational to quality of life — it supports health, safety, education and opportunity. Our team understands the impact of their work, and they carry that responsibility with pride. We are honored to stand alongside utilities from across the country to help bring that access to families who have waited years for it.”

The release said that crews participating in Light Up Navajo work alongside Navajo Tribal Utility Authority personnel to build power lines, set poles and connect homes across rugged and often remote terrain. By relying on volunteer labor and shared resources, the program reduces the cost of electrification and accelerates infrastructure development in areas where expansion has historically been difficult.

Riviera Utilities participated in the initiative last year, helping connect multiple families to electricity for the first time. Access to power allows residents to refrigerate food, safely heat and cool their homes and use modern tools for education and communication.

“Our lineworkers come back changed,” Skelton said. “They see firsthand how something we provide every day at home can completely transform someone else’s life. That perspective stays with them — and it strengthens the way we serve our own communities here at home.”