2019 Fellow

Wahleah Johns

Native Renewables: Navajo Clean Energy Program

Of the 20,000 families in the United States without access to electricity, three quarters live on the Navajo Nation. Wahleah is committed to changing this statistic. Through Native Renewables’ initiative, The Navajo Clean Energy Program, Wahleah is bringing solar energy to Native communities, while training the first generation of Navajo solar installers.

Over the next 18 months, Wahleah and the Navajo Clean Energy Program will also raise $1.5 million to provide low-cost loans for financing the transition to solar energy as well as 100 new off-grid solar units within the Navajo Nation. Wahleah will also train 50 Native American solar installers while providing training and education to Navajo Nation communities on green energy solutions.

Working at the intersection of inclusive clean economy and racial justice, this community-driven program seeks to enhance tribal sovereignty and energy independence, while creating sustainable jobs and wealth – empowering families with affordable, reliable and clean electricity.

I feel incredibly aligned with NCF’s values and I approach them from the perspective of a Navajo woman. Using the teachings that have sustained Indigenous peoples for countless generations, I hope to inspire change and create a model for the just transition to clean energy we urgently need.

2019 Fellow

Wahleah Johns

Native Renewables: Navajo Clean Energy Program

I feel incredibly aligned with NCF’s values and I approach them from the perspective of a Navajo woman. Using the teachings that have sustained Indigenous peoples for countless generations, I hope to inspire change and create a model for the just transition to clean energy we urgently need.

–Wahleah Johns