WNC’s own Land of Sky Regional Council along with the Footprint Project, NC Sustainable Energy Association, and a growing network of partners working with the NC Department of Environmental Quality are standing up a solar microgrid program for community resilience hubs. LOS staff members Ian Baillie (Regional Planner) and Sara Nichols (Energy and Economic Development Manager) held a regional stakeholder information session on 9/4/25 to start developing the network and feedback loops which partnerships officer Sara Coplai was able to attend.

Microgrids are distributed energy networks. Microgrids are localized, flexible and dependable, and they can operate either independently or in coordination with the main power grid. These grids can provide power during outages and supplement energy during peak times.

Up to twenty-four stationary microgrids will be installed across six Helene-affected counties, with two mobile “Beehive” microgrid hubs serving the entire state, one in Western North Carolina and one in Eastern North Carolina. This innovative disaster recovery model will strengthen emergency power access for critical community services, serving thousands.

When Helene hit western NC, thousands of families lost power, leaving them isolated, unable to communicate with loved ones and connect to essential resources. The Clean Energy Microgrid Initiative aims to ensure that when the next climate disaster strikes, NC communities are better prepared.

Learn more about how microgrids work, and what the plan is for completing this critical work in NC: https://www.businessinsidernorthcarolina.com/article/839476187-north-carolina-launches-clean-energy-microgrid-initiative-to-boost-disaster-resilience#