Electrifying Guatemala
Sixteen Oklahoma electric cooperative volunteers headed to Guatemala for electrification project
Residents of the rural Guatemalan village of Barejones will soon enjoy first-time access to electricity, empowering generations to come.
The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC) has selected a group of volunteer lineworkers to electrify Barejones this coming fall. The electrification project, dubbed Energy Trails, is coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) philanthropic arm, NRECA International.
The project site is located in the department (state) of Jalapa, east of Guatemala City. The department of Jalapa has a diverse ecosystem and is agriculturally productive.
The volunteer lineworkers will work for nearly three weeks wiring poles and homes to receive first-time electricity. Oklahoma volunteers will complete one portion of the project while lineworker volunteers from Ohio’s electric cooperatives will complete the second portion in early 2025.
Upon completion, 93 homes, two elementary schools, one health center and a few small businesses will benefit from access to electric power.
The team of lineworkers from both states will work on a stretch of 7.5 km of primary lines and 4.4 km of secondary lines in mountainous terrain to wire approximately 150 poles and install at least nine transformers. Each home will be equipped with lightbulbs, light switches and electrical outlets. The powerlines will be an expansion of service to a local utility, Empresa Eléctrica Municipal de Jalapa (Municipal Electric Utility of Jalapa).
This mission marks the seventh electrification project Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives have sponsored in Central and South America, collectively making possible nearly 900 first-time connections to electricity.
“We are grateful for the co-op lineworkers willing to leave their homes and families for an extended period of time to empower far-away communities,” says OAEC general manager Chris Meyers. “Access to electricity will bring economic empowerment, better access to health care and enhanced safety for these villagers. This mission reinforces our commitment to empower generations by improving quality of life for local communities at home and abroad.”
Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives have established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Oklahoma Energy Trails Foundation, to support this cause. All contributions are tax deductible. To learn more, oaec.coop/co-op-difference/energy-trails
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