ASHEVILLE, N.C. — More than a week after Helene moved through the Carolinas, more than 80,000 are still without power in the mountains. According to Duke Energy, many parts of the grid need to be completely reconstructed.
In the meantime, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association is partnering with Greentech Renewables, solar companies, and the disaster relief organization Footprint Project to provide a temporary solution: Solar battery generators.
NCSEA is working to coordinate donations with the Land of Sky Regional Council in Asheville to get the generators deployed. According to Matt Abele, the executive director of NCSEA, several have already been deployed and are up and running, providing power at community hubs for those who need a way to charge their phones, access the Internet, or other short-term needs.
In the coming week, Abele said they’re expecting a large shipment of panels from Solar Panel Recycling to build up their efforts.
Right now, these solar and battery generators are working off the grid to provide temporary power, but after the disaster, Abele said Footprint and the NCSEA are hoping to establish permanent microgrid infrastructure so that parts of the community can still access electricity during an outage.
The NCSEA is looking for donations here and asking any solar or energy companies with the materials to help to contact them here.
(WATCH BELOW: Luke Combs, James Taylor to headline Charlotte concert benefitting Helene victims)
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