Staden Babcock Ranch i Florida hade el, ljus och värme före, under och efter orkanen Ian

Orkanen Ian har förstört enorma landområden, tusentals hus och drabbat Florida hårdare än någon tidigare naturkatastrof. Hittills har man konstaterat 89 dödsfall. Men den lilla staden Babcock Ranch i närheten av Fort Myers har klarat sig bättre än de flesta och man kan nu hjälpa många som drabbats hårdare. Med lokal solenergi och batterilagring är staden nästintill oberoende av elnätet och därmed också av de avbrott som drabbar samhällen vid naturkatastrofer.

Babcock Ranch calls itself “America’s first solar-powered town.” Its nearby solar array — made up of 700,000 individual panels — generates more electricity than the 2,000-home neighborhood uses

CNN: This 100% solar community endured Hurricane Ian with no loss of power and minimal damage

The streets in this meticulously planned neighborhood were designed to flood so houses don’t. Native landscaping along roads helps control storm water. Power and internet lines are buried to avoid wind damage. This is all in addition to being built to Florida’s robust building codes.

Some residents, like Grande, installed more solar panels on their roofs and added battery systems as an extra layer of protection from power outages. Many drive electric vehicles, taking full advantage of solar energy in the Sunshine State.

Climate resiliency was built into the fabric of the town with stronger storms in mind.

CNN: This 100% solar community endured Hurricane Ian with no loss of power and minimal damage

As utilities scramble to restore power across the state, Babcock residents say September storms showed that America’s energy infrastructure is not well-equipped to handle worsening extreme weather events. Hurricane Fiona ravaged Puerto Rico’s power grid when it made landfall there on September 18. Now, Ian has left millions of people in the dark in Florida.

CNN: This 100% solar community endured Hurricane Ian with no loss of power and minimal damage

babcockranch.com