005: How to Finance MicroGrid and Green Building in Disaster with Will Heegaard

How to Disaster

"It's really exciting to think about what could be done when the generator is not the problem." -Will Heegaard

Episode Description:

Rebuilding a community after a disaster is a lot like building a house. You have to make sure that the foundation is strong and secure, and you have to make sure that you're using the right materials for the job. The best way to do this is by rebuilding back with green energy in mind.

However, many people reason that this is not a practical step as green energy sources like solar generators can get expensive. But is it really?

Green energy is clean, renewable, and sustainable—and that means it's more resilient than traditional power sources like coal or nuclear plants. And because it's kinder for the environment, we're actually helping fight climate change, which reduces the intensity and frequency of disasters we experience. So in effect, rebuilding with green energy is more cost-effective in the long run.

However, having sufficient funds can be hard for a disaster-stricken community. So how can we finance this big project?

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Will Heegaard, the Operations Director of Footprint Project, a non-profit organization that brings sustainable power generation to disaster affected communities.

Listen in as Jennifer and Will talk about what microgrids are, how they can be a great tool for disaster response, and how to get the funds needed for these projects. They also discuss the gaps in the disaster response space, how we can break the negative loop of causing another disaster, how we can normalize green energy in the community, and Will's advice to find motivation in moving towards progress despite huge challenges.

Connect with After The Fire USA:

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

01:47 Building Back Greener with Footprint Project

10:04 Footprint Project's 3 Power Up Programs

17:33 Equity and Rebuilding Greener

27:22 Break the Negative Loop

35:41 Benefits of Cleaner Power Systems

44:57 Climate Resiliency Programs

51:59 Helping Normalize Green Energy

55:52 Something Better