| Summary: | The cost of providing conventional sources of electricity is prohibitive within the Navajo Nation because of very low population densities and the large distances between homes. The primary provider of electricity in Arizona, Arizona Public Service, estimates the cost of erecting power lines to be roughly $25,000 to $30,000 per mile, an impossible amount for most families in this region, where the unemployment rate fluctuates around 50 percent. The writers present their analysis of the potential success of a small business operating on the Navajo Nation that installs self-contained solar systems, including battery storage, for some 18,000 homes.
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