What could $1 billion do for Puerto Rico's energy resilience? Residents have ideas.

Localized, distributed energy systems are popping up around California. As the larger electricity system becomes less reliable in the face of wildfires, more individuals are turning to microgrids and solar energy with help from organizations like Clean Coalition and Stone Edge Farm Microgrid. While still happening on a small scale, such energy systems may become more popular as its sustainability in a changing climate shows to be more resilient.

Nigerians are turning to liquefied petroleum gas, a fuel commonly used for cooking and heating, as an alternative to power the generators they use to combat an inconsistent supply of electricity. This gas is significantly cheaper than typical petrol and can be used when a dual carburetor is installed on a generator so it can run on both fuel types.

Mutual aid program Light Up Navajo is helping families get connected to the power grid through volunteer workers and private and federal funding. Over the past five years, crews have built miles of powerlines across the reservation, powering nearly 850 households, many of whom are receiving power for the first time.

A community solar project in a rural Michigan town is making energy more affordable for low-to-moderate-income households. Fifty community members and organizations subscribed to receive energy from and support the construction of a solar array. As a result, their electricity bills are about $300 cheaper each year, and the local utility reported fewer late payments.

Through a complex network of indigenous, governmental, religious and community resources, the Westwater community finally has electricity after a 20-year journey to bring the much-needed resource to the community.

Solar power is an important renewable energy in Germany, but when the sun is out, it can overpower the grid. Likewise, when the sun is not out, the reception of solar power decreases. Germany has piloted battery installations that store solar energy for use when the sunlight is not plentiful and has successfully incentivized citizens to use them to lower costs.

As climate change and burgeoning development contribute to more frequent and bigger natural disasters, often senior, disabled, and low-income residents are stranded in their homes after a big storm without power to run elevators or regulate temperatures for medicines. Research is showing that multifamily, renewable energy storage systems provide a viable and reliable source of clean, emergency backup power for these populations in event of an emergency.

Phone lines in Africa and South Asia would never have gotten to the poor - but these places have leapfrogged over last-century technology and gone straight to mobile phones. Now the same thing is happening with off-grid solar power: the fastest -- perhaps the only – way to power the poor.

The Iowa Flood Center developed a low-cost flood monitoring system, which includes a $7,500 water gauge and predictive mapping tools backed by human experts, that's helped local officials in make better-informed decisions during flood emergencies. In 2024, the center helped rescue coordinators safely navigate boats to 300 stranded residents during a flood.

WindowDressers mobilizes community volunteers to build low-cost insulating window inserts for older homes. Their efforts have saved nearly 4 million gallons of heating fuel, preventing 44,000 tons of CO2 emissions, and strengthening neighborhood ties while making heating more affordable—especially for low-income households who now represent nearly 40% of recipients.