Over the last two years, faith, labor and civic institutions across Louisiana have built the largest network of solar-powered resilience hubs in the world, in partnership with the Industrial Areas Foundation. With a fresh investment of $500,000, they launched their 17th community lighthouse.
[Excerpts]
Two more Shreveport churches now have the financial support needed to transform themselves into solar-powered disaster shelters after a Caddo Parish Commission vote.
The Commission at its Thursday meeting approved using $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to make Galilee Baptist Church and Willow Chute Baptist Church into "Community Lighthouses," doubling the number of solar-powered neighborhood hubs set to be operating in Shreveport in the coming year...
The Community Lighthouse initiative is part of a statewide program to make neighborhoods more resilient during power outages and disasters. The idea is to create hubs where nearby residents can go that will, because of solar panels and on-site wells, offer essentials even when utilities are shut down and government help is unavailable. The program's local partner is North Louisiana Interfaith, which facilitated the now-complete upgrades at Morning Star Baptist Church and the soon-to-be-underway upgrades at Highland Center.
[Photo provided by Together Louisiana]
$500K Approved for Two More Solar-Powered 'Community Lighthouses' in Shreveport, Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate [pdf]
Solar Panels for Community Lighthouse are Being Installed at the Highland Center, KSLA [video]
Churches Become Solar Plus Storage Resilience Hubs in Louisiana, PV Magazine [pdf]
Webinar: Solar and Battery Storage to Support Community Preparedness and Disaster Response, Clean Energy Group [pdf]