Sioux Valley Energy journey lineworker Steve Dvergsten was part of a crew of 14 lineworkers from Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota who traveled to Las Peñas, Guatemala, to help electrify the village of 35 homes in a mountainous area east of Jalapa, Guatemala. The endeavor was a project of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) International, which has been working in Guatemala since 2011.
From 2018-2023, 285 volunteer lineworkers have brought electricity access to more than 7,000 people in rural communities. In addition to helping build, upgrade, and extend power lines, America’s electric co-ops have donated more than $1 million for electrification projects in recent years to help remote community energy systems in Guatemala.
“The rural communities there need electricity. They have a lot of untapped resources there as far as their agriculture goes. If they can get a foothold on that to where they can make a decent income, they can better their kids, their standing in the world,” said Dvergsten. “That’s what it’s all about. No different than us. Our agriculture wouldn’t be as big as it is without rural electricity. It’s that stepping stone that pushes things forward.”
Hear Steve describe the work in SVE’s Inside the Grid Podcast.
Since 1962, NRECA International has empowered more than 220 million people worldwide to improve their quality of life by providing them access to safe, reliable, and affordable electricity. NRECA International has helped establish more than 250 electric utilities and electric cooperatives in 48 countries. Learn more about NRECA International.
Special thanks to lineworkers from the following Cooperatives for sharing their videos and images from Guatemala:
- Lake Country Power, MN
- MiEnergy Cooperative, MN
- Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative, MN
- Nobles Cooperative Electric, MN
- People's Energy Cooperative, MN
- Sioux Valley Energy, MN
- Stearns Electric Association, MN
- Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative, IA
- East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative, IA
- Eastern Iowa Light & Power Cooperative, IA
- Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative, IA
- Midland Power Cooperative, IA
- North West Rural Electric Cooperative, IA
- Prairie Energy Cooperative, IA
