Beatrice Lang
While access to electricity is an afterthought in most parts of the world, it may be surprising to know that 16% of the world's population, or 1.2 billion people, are living without it. In the United States, a country with a high rate of electrification, there are still 60,000 citizens who do not have access to electricity. These people are primarily located in the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the US, spanning northeast Arizona, northwest New Mexico, and southeast Utah.
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What You'll Learn
Life without electricity or running water
While most of the world's population has access to electricity, there are still a significant number of people who do not. As of 2020, about 1.2 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, were living without electricity. This lack of access to electricity, or "energy poverty", disproportionately affects rural populations in low-income countries. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, about 600 million people lack access to electricity, and in North Korea, more than half of the population is estimated to be living in energy poverty.
In the United States, while the vast majority have access to electricity, there are still some people who choose to live off the grid and without modern conveniences. For instance, there are Amish communities that do not use electricity and individuals who live in off-grid homesteads.
Life without electricity and running water can be challenging, as many modern conveniences that people have become accustomed to are no longer available. This includes no access to the internet, TV, lights, electric appliances such as coffee pots, refrigerators, or freezers, and no way to charge electronic devices. Additionally, without running water, basic hygiene practices like showering, washing hands, doing the dishes, and laundry become more difficult.
To manage these challenges, people living without electricity and running water have to come up with alternative solutions. For example, some may use kerosene lamps or candles for light, and wood stoves for heat. For cooking, some may use gas cooktops or learn to bake in a solar oven or find other ways to cook without an oven. Water can be collected in large tanks during rainfall and stored in buckets or pots for indoor use, and a composting toilet can be used instead of a flush toilet. While living without electricity and running water can be difficult, some people find it a delightful and unique experience that allows them to disconnect from modern life.
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Native Americans without access to electricity
While access to electricity is an afterthought in most parts of the world, 1.2 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, still live without this basic necessity. The United States is among the countries with 100% electricity access rates. However, Native Americans are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to electricity.
A Department of Energy analysis estimated that 14.2% of Native American families on reservations have no access to electricity, compared to 1.4% of all U.S. households. This equates to about 15,000 Native American families, or over one million Native Americans, living without electricity. Native American reservations are often referred to as the "Third World" of the United States. Life expectancy is low, and unemployment rates are high.
The lack of access to electricity on tribal lands is due in part to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which provided federal loans to deploy electrical systems in rural areas across the country, but bypassed many tribal nations. Additionally, Native Americans' median household income is 35% less than the national average, making it difficult for them to afford the high cost of connecting to the electrical grid.
Some Native American tribes are embracing renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, as a way to access reliable electricity, bring in much-needed income, and create jobs. For example, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) has offered solar PV systems to its customers who don’t have access to the grid since 1999 through an affordable rental program. The Tribal Power Act, passed in 2022, gives the Department of Energy’s Indian Energy Education Planning and Management Assistance Program $30 million annually until 2025 to improve access to electricity in tribal lands. Additionally, the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have created opportunities for wind and solar projects on tribal lands, offering around $14 billion in subsidies and incentives.
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The Navajo Nation and its electricity access
The United States is one of the world's high-population countries with 100% electricity access rates. However, there are still some communities in the US that lack access to electricity, including the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is a Native American tribe located mainly in Arizona but also in parts of New Mexico and Utah.
Out of the 68,100 residential homes on the Navajo Nation, approximately 14,000 do not have access to electricity, affecting about 45,000 Navajo (Diné) people. This means that 75% of the homes in the US without electricity are located on the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation has endured a lack of access to basic needs, including electricity and running water. Each day, residents haul or gather resources such as water, firewood, food, and other essentials. The lack of access to electricity also means that residents do not have access to fresh produce due to the lack of refrigerators.
The Light Up Navajo initiative was launched in 2019 as a mutual aid training program designed to expedite the process of connecting homes to electricity. Electric crews from utility companies outside the Navajo Nation assist in connecting homes and extending power lines across the reservation. Since its inception, the Light Up Navajo program has connected more than 400 homes to electrical power, with more than 910 homes connected as of 2025. The initiative brings together electric utilities from across the country to help speed up the process of bringing power to the Navajo Nation. In 2025, 45 electric companies from 20 states participated in the initiative, and it is estimated that more than 200 families will have access to safe and reliable energy by the end of the year.
The Village Aid Solar Initiative is another program working to bring electricity to the Navajo Nation. The initiative is a student-led organization that partners with Native American communities to provide residential off-grid solar energy for families in need. These off-grid PV residential solar systems provide power for refrigeration, lighting, charging appliances, boiling water, cooking with electric stoves, running medical equipment, and internet access.
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The impact of energy poverty
Energy poverty refers to a situation where a household cannot meet its energy needs. While the United States has made progress in providing access to electricity to its citizens, with the country having an electricity access rate of over 95%, energy poverty remains a significant issue. Over a third of American households experience energy insecurity, unable to afford their basic energy needs. This has far-reaching impacts and creates a new kind of poverty.
Energy poverty leads to a range of negative consequences for those affected. Financially, energy-insecure households pay, on average, $300 more than energy-secure households in annual energy bills. This has resulted in one out of every six households in the country, or approximately 21 million households, owing around $800 in unpaid electricity bills, collectively totaling over $16 billion. This financial burden is further exacerbated by the fact that energy-insecure households are forced to make difficult trade-offs, such as choosing between food and medicine, or forgoing the use of heating or air conditioning to save costs.
Beyond the financial implications, energy poverty also has significant social and health impacts. It prevents people from fully participating in the modern economy and society, hindering their ability to engage in economic activities and access essential services. Additionally, energy poverty can lead to unhealthy living conditions, as households may be unable to maintain adequate temperatures or may resort to using solid fuels for cooking and heating, resulting in indoor air pollution.
Addressing energy poverty requires recognizing it as a distinct issue from general poverty and developing comprehensive responses. This includes expanding eligibility requirements for support, improving access to conservation measures and renewable energy sources, and increasing assistance for household energy costs. By taking these steps, the United States can alleviate the burden of energy poverty and improve the well-being of millions of households.
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The number of people without electricity in the USA
While access to electricity is now an afterthought in most parts of the world, there are still an estimated 1.2 billion people living without this basic necessity. Fortunately, the United States is not among the countries with the lowest levels of access to electricity, and most of its citizens do have electricity in their homes. However, it may come as a surprise that there are still around 60,000 citizens in the US who do not have access to electricity.
These 60,000 people comprise about 15,000 families, and most of them belong to the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the US. The Navajo Nation spans more than 17.5 million acres across northeast Arizona, northwest New Mexico, and southeast Utah. Life without electricity means no refrigerator, no electronic appliances, and no modern heating or cooling systems. People have to cook and heat their homes using coal or wood-fired stoves. Drinking water has to be stored and hauled in plastic drums in the back of a pickup truck.
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is the multi-service utility that provides electricity, water, wastewater, natural gas, and communications services for the Navajo Nation. It is the largest Native American-owned utility in the US. Despite its efforts, there is still a lot to be done to bring electricity to all the households in the Navajo Nation.
In recent years, there has been a national effort by public power utilities to bring electricity to more parts of the Navajo Nation. For example, a crew from the Delaware Municipal Electric Corp. spent a week working 12-hour days alongside the local NTUA crew to help bring electricity to the Navajo Nation. Such initiatives are crucial in ensuring that all citizens have access to this basic necessity and can participate in the modern economy.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that 60,000 people in the USA do not have access to electricity.
The Navajo Nation, a Native American reservation spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, is home to 15,000 families without electricity.
People without electricity may have to rely on coal or wood for cooking and heating, and may not have access to refrigerators, computers, or air conditioning.
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is working to bring electricity to the Navajo Nation, and public power utilities have also contributed to this effort.
