What does it mean to be a neighbor? In this episode of Southwest Power Stories, host Monica Vick travels to the Four Corners region with La Plata Electric's lineworkers as they participate in Light Up Navajo, a national mutual aid program run by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority that connects homes to electricity for the first time. An estimated third of homes on the Navajo Nation still lack access to the grid, not a statistic from fifty years ago, but today. La Plata Electric joined the effort for the first time in 2026, committing a full crew to Phase 7 of the program, because the area sits just two hours from Durango and LPEA's service territory, and the need felt hard to ignore. In this episode: the pre-dawn work site, the lineworkers who chose to make the trip, the NTUA crews who welcomed them, and a mother of five in Montezuma Creek whose family had been living without power for months, and who was generous enough to share what that day meant to her.

In this episode, we share an update on LPEA's power supply planning as the cooperative wraps up its first six months of energy independence, including the five principles guiding future decisions and a recap of the September 14 Town Hall, with the recording and slides now available online. We also preview CommunityPowerX on October 13 at the Durango Arts Center, where members can hear about wildfire protection, home battery storage, and preparing for the future of energy. Plus, the Round Up Foundation celebrated 30 years of community giving with more than $59,000 in mid-year grants, home battery rebates of up to $2,000 are available for qualifying members, and LPEA's updated Solar Export Guide is ready for members exploring solar options.

In this episode, we invite members to a September 14 Power Supply Town Hall in Durango, where LPEA's board and leadership team will walk through the cooperative's power supply transition and explain how LPEA plans to balance emissions reductions with keeping bills affordable. We also preview our upcoming Community Power X on October 13, a member event covering wildfire protection, home battery storage, and future-proofing your home. Plus, Durango members can drop in for a rebate and energy help session with 4CORE on September 15, and National Drive Electric Month is the perfect time to check out LPEA's EV charger rebates and take the EV readiness quiz.