Dismantling Energy Inequity in Communities of Color (DEICC)

The Institute for Sustainable Communities’ (ISC) Dismantling Energy Inequity in Communities of Color (DEICC) initiative is an 18-month program, funded by the Tides Foundation with resources from Wells Fargo Foundation, that will activate community resilience and dismantle energy insecurity in ten communities of color across the United States through the development of solar community resilience hubs. Community resilience hubs are equitably-designed community centers that support community residents by coordinating communications, providing social and educational programs, distributing resources, and reducing carbon pollution. While a resilience hub can take many shapes, most hubs are solar-powered with energy storage provided by battery backups, thereby producing less greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional buildings. The clean energy component ensures that hubs can be used as temporary shelters during climate disasters such as flooding and power outages and can serve as cooling centers in summer and heat shelters in the winter, particularly in communities impacted by energy-inefficient housing. Hubs exist at the intersection of climate change mitigation, social and racial equity, community resilience, and emergency management, particularly in disinvested communities seeking self-actualization.