In the Wake of Disasters, Rural Health Could End Up Running on Sunshine

When Hurricane Helene ripped through western North Carolina, tens of thousands of residents were left without electricity for days and even weeks. In Hot Springs, flooding forced the shutdown of the Marshall Substation. But Hot Springs was more fortunate than most. In 2023, Duke Energy had installed a microgrid of solar panels and lithium-ion batteries to restore power quickly in case of emergency. The system went live on Oct 2, only five days after the storm. The microgrid operated continuously for the next 143.5 hours, providing power to the town’s center until power was restored on Oct. 8. The project, initially intended to be a proof of concept, worked to help the town get back online far ahead of its neighbors. “It wasn’t as luxurious as a typical grid-powered home,” said Sara Nichols, energy and economic program manager for the Land of Sky Regional Council. “It kept that town going when most people had nothing. It’s a huge success story.” As a result of Helene—and with the Hot Springs example in mind—Nichols and others have renewed their advocacy around communities—especially rural ones—to include microgrid technology in their resiliency planning.