2023 Youth Tour Ambassadors Announced

ContinentalDivide and the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association have brought back the Government-In-Action Youth Tour, a program where juniors from across the state are chosen to represent their local cooperatives in Washington, D.C., June 12-18.

This year's ambassadors representing our co-op are Brandi Bassett of Grants High School and Aaliyah

Lowshyatee of Thoreau High School. The alternate is Alexia Munson of Grants High.

Our service-area students were required to write a 500to 750-word essay addressing how the Inflation Reduction Act's energy-related provisions could benefit or hurt rural Americans in the coming years.

Bassett wrote the most balanced essay, describing the potential positive and negative impacts. She summarized the long-term effects of the provisions, if appropriately used, as "reducing carbon emissions, increasing cleaner energy production and lowering energy costs." But in the short term, Bassett believes the transition could result in countless job losses.

"By reducing the amount of fossil fuels used as well as increasing reliance on renewable energy, we will be making progress in that endeavor … but at the cost of countless livelihoods," leaving many people unemployed and very possibly homeless, Bassett wrote.

Lowshyatee's essay described the same provisions, focusing more on the amount of money that would be invested in each. "This act is the largest single investment since the rural electrification Act in 1936," she wrote.

Lowshyatee also described how political leaders believe it will benefit the Navajo Nation. She recalled former Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon saying that the leaders of the Navajo Nation hope to use the financial investments to develop clean energy solutions on the largest reservation in the United States. Just as important are the rest of the tribal nations across the country that also will benefit. Lowshyatee wrote how the IRA provisions could present more opportunities for the Navajo Nation to invest in sustainable energy projects.

As in years past, New Mexico's ambassadors will begin their trek in Santa Fe at state Capitol Day on June 12. The group will then depart from Santa Fe on the Rail Runner, spend the night in Albuquerque and leave for Washington, D.C., the following day.

This is the first time since 2019 that Continental Divide has participated in the Government-in-Action Youth Tour. The program was mothballed three years by the COVID-19 pandemic. The contest is open to high school juniors whose parents or legal guardians are active Continental Divide members in good standing. The 2024 applications will be made available in the fall at cdec.coop