When the lights go out, people often go to churches first. As Hurricane Helene tore through south and coastal Georgia in 2024 it passed near numerous African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches and devastated the communities surrounding them. It was to these churches that many community members turned for support, resources, and guidance in the aftermath.
Churches and faith institutions are community anchors, and when disasters strike they are often safe havens at the center of organizing and rebuilding efforts. However, their leaders rarely have a seat at official economic development planning tables, meaning many recovery initiatives may be missing key partners, resource providers, and community-driven opportunities. As Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) Fellow Fenika Miller put it, "We are tasked with reimagining what economic development looks like and who should be at the table. What are the assets? What do we have in our hands?"
On Thursday, April 23, faith leaders, local government officials, utility representatives, local philanthropy, and national partners across the economic development field gathered at New Bethel AME Church in Lithonia, Georgia. The convening explored how Black churches can serve as solar-powered community resilience hubs that reduce energy burden, strengthen disaster response, and drive community-centered economic development.
The event was organized by Fenika Miller, local collaborator James Gaymon, Director of Operations for Social Justice for the Sixth District AME Church in Georgia, and ERC host organization the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP). The Pastor of New Bethel AME, Reverend Dr. William E. Thomas Jr. led a guided tour of the church’s solar and battery storage installation before the discussions began.
The value of a solar-powered church extends far beyond day-to-day energy savings. In a disaster, when surrounding neighborhoods lose power, a church with solar and battery storage becomes a lifeline. It is a place where community members can charge medical devices, store medications that require refrigeration, house elders safely, and coordinate emergency response.
At the heart of the convening was the Sixth District Clean Energy Micro-Grid project, an initiative that recognizes that the infrastructure needed for energy resilience often already exists in communities. Their work is to activate the infrastructure through asset mapping, community ownership, and the right financing tools.
A key milestone for the initiative was the Inflation Reduction Act's direct pay provision, known as elective pay, which, for the first time, allowed churches and other places of worship to directly access federal clean energy tax benefits. For congregations that have historically operated outside the reach of tax incentive structures, this change is significant. When the Trump administration's energy policy changes put Direct Pay in legal uncertainty, Fenika and AME church leaders committed to finding alternate financing pathways.
Having infrastructure already in place, rather than struggling to build it after disaster strikes, is what genuine resilience looks like. Fenika, AME church leaders, SEAP, and their many local partners have demonstrated how to bring in and empower trusted community partners to align economic development, disaster recovery, and community-based efforts to drive creative solutions to pressing recovery challenges.
An interactive data dashboard tracking the work of the Sixth District Clean Energy Micro-Grid project can be found here.