Extreme heat is responsible for more weather-related deaths than any other weather event. Community service providers and emergency preparedness leaders scramble each summer to ensure those at high risk – including electricity-dependent, medically vulnerable, and elderly individuals as well as those without access to in-home air conditioning – have access to cooling centers, air-conditioned locations that have been designated as public sites to provide relief and safety during extreme heat.

Demand for electricity often rises dramatically on hot days, as more people turn on their air conditioners, which places additional stress on the grid and can lead to power outages. When high temperatures coincide with a power outage, hospitalizations and fatalities rise, with low-income communities, communities of color, and medically vulnerable individuals experiencing disproportionate health impacts. As the number of high temperature days and occurrence of extreme weather events continue to climb, this deadly combination will continue to wreak havoc on public health in almost every state in the United States.

A new report by Clean Energy Group (https://www.cleanegroup.org/ceg-resources/resource/resilient-cooling-centers) examines the opportunity for resilient solar+storage to provide reliable backup power to cooling centers. In this webinar, report author Marriele Mango will present her findings. She will be joined by Nate Mills from American Microgrid Solutions, and Nicole Lim from the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, which is in the process of developing a resilient solar+storage installation to support cooling center operations.