Last fall, Alex Honnold and members of the Honnold Foundation team visited Memphis, TN to see the solar installation at Memphis Rox Climbing and Community Center in action.
Solar installations for community centers like this one have the power to act as beacons for their entire community. They help vital community hubs save money on their electricity bills so that they can focus on what matters— their work. They provide an important proof of concept for solar adoption regionally, showing their neighbors the versatility and sustainability of using the sun for energy. And, in a time when our climate is changing rapidly and aging energy infrastructure is failing our communities, solar energy has the power to keep the lights on.
Last week, in the wake of an ice storm, 140,000 Memphians were left without power over the weekend, and, as of February 7th, 70,000 still don’t have access to electricity. Between nightly temperatures dropping below 20 degrees, and daily temperatures rising high enough to ensure that groceries spoil, Memphians are struggling. . Meanwhile, Memphis Rox’s solar install could have and should have been able to help Rox respond to their community’s needs. But, thanks to antiquated policies enforced by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the size of the installation isn’t large enough to power the entire building off-grid. Currently, the installation offsets just a portion of Rox’s energy needs. . Memphians deserve what everyone deserves: Access to reliable refrigeration, shelter, internet, home healthcare, and the basic ability to keep their lights on.
In collaboration with Duct Tape Then Beer, we’re nearing the finish line of a project that will tell the story of energy justice in Memphis. Inevitably, the lights will come back, sooner than later. But the energy burden for residents remains, along with the dread of yet another multi-day outage.
We’ll share the full story of Memphis’s energy burden, and what you can do to help, later this Spring.