Arizona, Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe receive grant for coal-impacted communities

The State of Arizona, Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe received a nearly $100,000 grant from the Resilient Energy Economies initiative to support coal-impacted communities in the Four Corners region, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. The funding will support a joint research project titled “Enhancing Four Corners Economic Resilience and Tribal Sovereignty,” focused on job creation and revenue growth following the decline of the coal industry.

According to the Arizona Daily Sun, the project includes partnerships with Harvard’s Growth Lab and the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development to conduct research and stakeholder outreach. The closure of the Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta Mine resulted in $50 million in annual revenue losses, 700 direct job losses and 3,000 indirect job losses for the Navajo Nation. The Hopi Tribe experienced an 85% revenue reduction and up to 1,900 job losses.