Navajo woman chosen to head US Indian Energy

A Diné woman who knows what it’s like to live without electricity and has fought for solar energy for her people has been selected to head the U.S. Office of Indian Energy Programs and Policy. She’ll be taking over a program that the Trump administration nearly brought to its knees by cutting its budget by two-thirds.

Wahleah Johns is co-founder and director of Native Renewables, a company that brings solar energies to Native American homes and trains Navajo solar installers. She’s also been a community organizer and advocate for water protection, and economic and environmental justice. She’s chairwoman of the Navajo Green Economy Commission.

Johns grew up on and near the Navajo reservation, where about 15 percent of homes lack piped water and 10 percent lack electricity. Water and energy became core issues for her.

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