| Resource Type | Report |
| Author / Source | Alexandra Kramer, Scott Belding, and Kamyria Coney (NREL/NLR, U.S. Department of Energy) |
| Publication Date | May 2023 |
| Location | United States |
| Initiative Type | Technology, Program, Partnership |
| Project Complexity | Intermediate |
| Recommended For | Board, Staff, Community Organizations |
Estimated reading time: 30+ minutes
Why This Matters for Rural Electric Co-ops
Communities that want to withstand and recover from outages, disasters, and other acute disruptions can start with this menu of options, grouped into 10 categories. The categories range from battery storage and microgrids to resilience hubs, backup power for first responders, energy efficiency, and financing.
It was written for community planners and local decisionmakers new to the topic, not specifically for utilities. However, a co-op can use it and its linked guides as a shared reference when a local partner like a county, school district, or emergency manager raises backup power for critical facilities.
Key Takeaways
| › | Solar and batteries help during outages only if designed for it, often with the ability to island (operate separately) from the grid. Raise this early in project talks. |
| › | Resilience hubs can combine backup power with shelter, heating and cooling, water, and emergency coordination, a model co-ops could support at community facilities. |
| › | The report names agrivoltaics and biomass, including biogas from anaerobic digesters, as generation options suited to farms and rural communities. |
| › | Resilience projects can look too expensive on paper, but counting what an outage would cost can make a stronger case for them. |
Implementation Considerations
- Cost or Funding Requirements: Resilience projects carry high upfront costs. The report lists grants, community clean energy funds, incentive programs, and favorable loans from mission-driven lenders such as community development financial institutions (CDFIs) as ways to spread those costs.
- Staffing or Technology Requirements: This is an orientation, not a design guide. Islanding, microgrids, and storage at critical facilities need site-specific engineering. Smaller co-ops may need outside help from their G&T, an engineering firm, or a technical assistance program.
- Time-Sensitive Information: Published May 2023. Linked federal grant and technical assistance programs may have changed or closed, so confirm availability before relying on them. One linked analysis covers the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). IRA funding is not available to co-ops without an approved award, and new applicants should not rely on it.
Notable Examples
- City of Largo, Florida, and Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council: Developed the Clear Sky assessment process for prioritizing solar plus storage for resilient facilities and communities. The council also publishes a resilience-based siting toolkit.
- SunSmart Emergency Shelters Program: Equipped more than 100 Florida schools with backup solar and battery storage.
- AC Transit: Announced a 2022 vehicle-to-building pilot in Oakland, California, to test electric buses for resilience.
Estimated reading time: 30+ minutes
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