1. Groundswell partners with Community Church Atlanta, Stryten Energy, InterUrban Solar, City of Atlanta, Wells Fargo Foundation, and GM to launch community-owned resilience hub in the Southeast.
2. Solar installation at the Vicars Community Center will provide power and battery storage for community members during emergencies and support ongoing services for the church.
3. Project leverages Inflation Reduction Act to deliver community ownership, with funding support from GM Foundation, Stryten Energy, and Wells Fargo Foundation.
Groundswell, along with partners Community Church Atlanta, Stryten Energy, InterUrban Solar, the City of Atlanta, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and GM, celebrated the launch of one of the first community-owned resilience hubs in the Southeast. The hub, located at the Community Church Atlanta, features a 34.1-kW solar installation and 320 kWh of battery storage, providing a safe gathering place for community members during emergencies.
The Community Resilience Hub at the Vicars Community Center will not only serve as a location for community members to gather during emergencies, but also support ongoing services provided by the church, such as weekly meals for 400 families and meeting space for local organizations. Groundswell focuses on creating resilience hubs in trusted community locations to provide reliable power and support during natural disasters and emergencies.
Groundswell worked with Community Church leaders to address neighborhood needs and build on existing projects like Breaking Barriers. Stryten Energy is providing the battery for the hub, ensuring three days of backup power during outages. The hub will be owned by the Community Church, with funding support from GM Foundation, Stryten Energy, and the Wells Fargo Foundation. Wells Fargo plays a key role in advancing community ownership of resilience hubs through financial support and leveraging the IRA’s direct pay provision for community ownership. InterUrban Solar is leading the hub’s engineering, procurement, and construction.