Navajos' Crownpoint Chapter House installs solar power system

May 16, 2011
Contact: Mariel Nanasi 505-469-4060
Crownpoint Chapter House Installs Solar Power System
Press statement
100 Percent of Facility’s Electricity Now Comes from the Sun
Crownpoint, NM – The Crownpoint community will celebrate the installation of a solar electric power system to provide 100 percent of the electrical power for Crownpoint Chapter house. From this day forward, money that was used to pay for electricity can now be used for other community needs such as education and economic development. On Sunday, May 22nd there will be a ribbon-cutting community celebration at Crownpoint beginning at 12 Noon to 4:00pm.
The solar power system will, over a 25-year period, conserve approximately 170,000 gallons of water not used in power plant steam turbines and eliminate approximately 600,000 pounds of carbon pollution that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere by means of fossil fuel-based electricity generation. This installation will also bring the promise of solar power development into clearer focus for local Navajo residents and leaders. This can help build momentum and support for larger commercial-scale solar power developments that are under consideration.
The sun shall provide the energy needed to supply electricity into the foreseeable future. For years community members have been fighting against uranium mining, which has poisoned land and water, caused a legacy of cancer and other genetic defects, and created mountains of radioactive waste. Instead of Crownpoint being the epicenter for nuclear the future may be brighter with solar energy.
Navajo Nation holds tremendous solar power potential that could displace coal and uranium mines, create new jobs and build enduring prosperity. New Energy Economy, a nonprofit based in Santa Fe, has led the effort to get the solar power system installed in Crownpoint. Positive Energy, New Mexico’s leading installer of solar electric power systems, will install the Crownpoint system and provided financial and in-kind support to the project.
About New Energy Economy
New Energy Economy is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization established in 2004 to create economic opportunity in New Mexico with less carbon pollution and more clean energy. New Energy Economy works in partnership with diverse allies to encourage job growth, investment and innovation in a more efficient, sustainable and equitable energy sector. New Energy Economy grounds its work in the research and findings of the world’s leading scientific and technological authorities including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as well as Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Learn more at http://www.newenergyeconomy.org/