Community Solar Initiatives Boost Power Resilience After Hurricanes in North Carolina and US Virgin Islands

Following Hurricane Helene, the Emma neighborhood in Asheville, North Carolina, installed a 46‑kilowatt rooftop solar system on the La Esperanza Community Center, adding over 100 panels and a solar trailer to provide backup electricity for essential services such as water pumps and refrigeration. The project, supported by partners including Footprint Project, Sugar Hollow Solar and Invest Appalachia, aims to lower residents' energy bills and offer a reliable power source during future outages.

After Hurricane Irma, the US Virgin Islands Energy Office launched the VIBES 2.0 virtual power plant pilot in March 2026. The program aggregates existing rooftop solar panels and home battery storage—about 30 MW of PV and more than 50 MWh of batteries, with roughly one in eight homes equipped—to supply sub‑second grid support, improve reliability, and reduce reliance on costly fuel imports. Both initiatives seek to strengthen community resilience and address equity gaps by turning decentralized solar assets into shared backup resources.