Two weeks after Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina’s mountains, leaving power lines down and roads impassable, the constant hum of gas-powered generators is becoming a burden for many residents. Bobby Renfro, a retired railroad worker in Tipton Hill, a remote crossroads in the Pisgah National Forest, has set up a community resource hub in a former church to support his neighbors. He relies on a generator to power vital equipment like refrigerators storing insulin for people with diabetes and oxygen machines for those who need it. The generator, however, is expensive to run, costing Renfro thousands of dollars in fuel.
The lack of power is a pressing concern for thousands of residents in western North Carolina. More than 43,000 people remain without electricity, making it impossible to keep medications cold, operate medical equipment, or even pump well water. Access to basic necessities like phone charging and applying for federal disaster aid is also severely limited. Utility crews are working tirelessly to restore power, but the task is daunting in the mountainous terrain where roads and bridges have been washed away.
“The crews aren’t doing what they typically do, which is a repair effort. They’re rebuilding from the ground up,” explained Kristie Aldridge, vice president of communications at North Carolina Electric Cooperatives.
As residents struggle with the limitations of gas-powered generators, a glimmer of hope has emerged. Project Footprint, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable emergency response, is deploying solar generators and other sustainable solutions to bring relief to affected communities.
Renfro’s community hub in Tipton Hill is now equipped with a solar generator, thanks to Project Footprint and a local solar installation company. The panels, strategically placed on a grassy hill, offer a cleaner, quieter, and free alternative to gas generators.
“Seeing and knowing that they have a little electricity,” Renfro says, “gives my community some comfort and security.”
Project Footprint is scaling up its response to this disaster, deploying dozens of larger solar microgrids, generators, and water-from-air machines to 33 sites across the region. The organization is also sourcing hundreds of smaller portable batteries and other larger systems, including industrial-scale solar generators known as “Dragon Wings.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jamie Swezey, co-founder of Project Footprint, as she surveyed a whiteboard filled with requests, volunteer names, and equipment lists. “It’s all hands on deck with whatever you can use to power whatever you need to power.”
In Mars Hill, a warehouse owner has provided Project Footprint with a base of operations. Each morning, Swezey and her husband, Will Heegaard, field requests for equipment, ranging from individual needs like powering home oxygen machines to supporting makeshift clinics and community hubs distributing supplies.
Local volunteers are instrumental in the effort. Glassblowers from Asheville, Hayden Wilson and Henry Kovacs, are using their pickup truck and trailer to deliver supplies, while installers from Sundance Power Systems are working to connect solar panels to homes and community centers.
“This is a game changer,” said Julie Wiggins, who runs a community hub out of her driveway, supporting 30 families in the Bakersville area. She was able to use the solar panels and battery provided by Project Footprint to power a refrigerator, a water pump, and a Starlink communications system.
The volunteers have also provided solar power to Renfro’s hub in Tipton Hill and a Bakersville church running two generators. Even in remote locations, where access is limited, Project Footprint is finding creative solutions. They have even explored using mules to transport batteries up mountains and are coordinating helicopter drops.
The organization is determined to stay in the affected areas for as long as needed, recognizing that many people will need help long after the power returns. This commitment is deeply rooted in the experience of the organization’s founders, who witnessed the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, where some mountain communities went without power for eleven months.
“We know there are people who will need help long after the power comes back,” Swezey said.
The resilience of the communities in the North Carolina mountains is being tested, but the dedication of local residents and the unwavering support of organizations like Project Footprint offer a ray of hope and a path to a brighter future.
