The United States awarded $9 million in energy funding to 13 tribes across the country, including here in Arizona, on Monday. 

The funding from the Department of Energy included more than $1 million to build a solar microgrid and battery storage system to power 24 homes in Kayenta on the Navajo Nation. It will also provide Internet access and a propane backup system.

The project is part of a broader five-year project that ultimately will provide water, electricity and septic systems to all of Kayenta’s residents. 

That project will end up costing $2.8 million, according to Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. 

“The Navajo Nation is striving to be a renewable energy leader nationwide. We want to be able to electrify more homes and communities on the Navajo Nation, and expand those efforts into other communities and industries in the Southwest," he said in a press release about the funding projects.

The department’s $9 million will fund 14 projects, including those using solar, hydro or geothermal resources.