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During a Historic Hurricane Season, Microgrids Kept Communities Running

Summary

During Hurricane Francine, microgrids powered by solar and battery storage provided critical support to communities facing widespread outages. In New Orleans, the Grace United Methodist Church, part of the Community Lighthouses network, served as a resilience hub offering electricity, cooling, and essential services. Across the U.S., microgrid adoption is growing as a reliable energy solution, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and enhancing disaster preparedness. RMI’s “Microgrids for Resilient Communities” initiative is helping schools, churches, tribal buildings, and community centers implement microgrids by addressing financial and technical challenges. Key factors for success include high energy efficiency, favorable net metering policies, and access to funding sources like federal tax credits and grants. Advocates highlight microgrids’ role in lowering energy costs and ensuring energy security, especially for low-income communities.

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October 22, 2026

A new study from the Houston Advanced Research Center is warning that the rapid growth of data centers could erase much of Texas’ air-quality progress over the past two decades...

October 9, 2026

Hurricane Isaias has strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane as it approaches Florida and the northern Gulf Coast, bringing threats of devastating winds, life-threatening storm...

October 1, 2026

The Supreme Court is opening its 2026 term with a major climate case that could determine whether local governments can hold fossil fuel companies financially responsible...

September 24, 2026

At a UN General Assembly meeting, world leaders from vulnerable nations issued urgent calls for coordinated global action against climate change, highlighting severe threats...

September 4, 2026

Underserved communities are again asking federal courts to restore $3 billion in environmental justice grants that the Trump administration canceled, arguing that delays...

August 14, 2026

Local opposition to AI data centers is adopting the same organizing tactics, legal strategies, and community-level pushback over rising utility costs and water usage...

August 7, 2026

Two federal court rulings dealt major setbacks to the Trump administration by determining that the Environmental Protection Agency unlawfully terminated billions of dollars...

July 31, 2026

his press release highlights a global report examining how nations are translating "Just Transition" commitments into concrete laws, environmental rule of law policies...

July 24, 2026

A federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to resume distributing $2.8 billion in environmental and climate justice grants designed to address health...

June 26, 2026
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

Driven by the sudden demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, Texas is facing an influx of at least 248 planned data center projects, primarily targeting rural...

June 12, 2026

Federal grant cuts are significantly impacting environmental justice and public health efforts in Houston, with tens of millions of dollars eliminated from local programs...

June 5, 2026

Representative Christian Menefee is working to elevate environmental justice as a key priority within the Democratic Party, emphasizing the need to address pollution and climate..

May 29, 2026

America’s rapidly expanding data center industry is carrying a steep hidden environmental and public health cost, estimated at nearly $25 billion annually...

May 22, 2026

A recent Newsweek analysis highlights how accelerating sea level rise, driven in part by the potential collapse of Antarctica’s Thwaites “doomsday” glacier, could reshape U.S...

May 15, 2026
Human Health
Human Health

A new study found that "forever chemicals" (PFAS) are present in 98.8% of over 10,000 human blood samples tested. Most individuals carry a complex mixture of at least five...