Community-Owned Resilience Hub Unveiled at Critical Time for West Atlanta Community

Groundswell, a community power nonprofit, announced the unveiling of one of Georgia’s first community-owned resilience hub at Community Church in Atlanta. The hub, completed in partnership with Community Church Atlanta, Stryten Energy, InterUrban Solar, the City of Atlanta’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and GM, launched on July 31. The resilience hub, which has enough solar and energy storage capacity to provide up to three days of backup power for certain critical services, began producing energy just in time to be operational before what is typically the heaviest part of Georgia’s annual storm season.

The community resilience hub, powered by a solar installation connected to battery storage, will provide a safe, reliable source of power for community members to use during sustained power outages, severe weather events, and other times of need. The financing for the project leverages the federal Investment Tax Credit and an additional 10% low-income bonus adder tax credit enabled by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Thanks to the IRA’s new “Direct Pay” option, the value of these tax credits will be paid directly to the Community Church Atlanta as the project’s nonprofit owner. 

“We want to be the place people turn to for help in our community, regardless of their faith,” said Dr. Kevin Earley, the Senior Pastor of Community Church Atlanta. “Being a resilience center expands our reach and impact possibilities to the community while providing savings of nearly $7,000 a year on our power bills through the community ownership provision of the IRA.”

Stryten Energy, a Georgia-based company, designed, manufactured, and installed the battery. GM is providing funding support for this project. The Wells Fargo Foundation also provides ongoing support to advance community ownership of resilience hubs like the one at the community center.

Using a people-first approach, Groundswell developed the resilience hub by working with community and church leadership in a collaborative effort. This joint endeavor was crucial in constructing a hub to meet the best energy and resilience needs of the community in which Community Church Atlanta exists. The vision for Atlanta’s first resilience hub came through the Breaking Barriers project. This project, supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was a groundbreaking proposal to reduce energy burdens in the community. 

Groundswell played a key role in securing funding for the Vicars project leveraging private grants and federal tax credits to ensure the church’s debt-free ownership of the community center. 

“The IRA’s Direct Pay option is a game-changer in community ownership,” said Michelle Moore, CEO of Groundswell. “For the first time ever, faith — and community-based organizations — can directly receive 100% of the value of the solar tax credit, which means 100% of the resulting solar energy can go directly to reducing power bills. More solar ownership and lower power bills mean more money for the mission.”