Empowering Communities Through Solar: Insights from the Appalachian Finance Hub
In early September, Heartland's Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub along with Resilient Cities Catalyst and the Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT), hosted a Sustainable Infrastructure Development Workshop in Athens, Ohio. This event brought together local government, and the public and private sectors to learn about the development and financing of the City of Athens’ solar energy installations and participate in a project development workshop.
The day kicked off with a welcome from Athens’ Mayor Steve Patterson and a fascinating tour from Deputy Service-Safety Director, Andrew Chiki, of the City of Athens’ impressive rooftop, ground mount and carport solar installations. Participants learned about the City’s commitment to renewable energy and heard from project developers and other partners like Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), Kokosing Solar, and Athens-based Ohio University about the partnerships, policies and mechanisms used to finance them. This tour held particular significance for CONNECT’s Get Solar program, which aims to aggregate demand and equip municipalities in Allegheny County to adopt solar energy solutions on public property through a joint PPA.
Following the tour, attendees enjoyed a thought-provoking lunchtime keynote address from CONNECT’s own Board Member, Dr. Patty Demarco. Patty’s inspiring message highlighted her new book Reimagine Appalachia: Healing the Land and Empowering the People, and the importance of collaboration and innovation when building a blueprint for shared prosperity. Conversations flowed over the lunch hour, catching up with our friends over at the SWPA Municipal Project Hub and learning about new programs at the PADEP.
The Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub is currently in the planning phase, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Hub aims to bring both public and private sector partners together to serve as a central resource for communities across the Upper Appalachian region (Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia), aligning the financial tools and expertise needed to implement sustainable solutions. The Athens event served as a powerful example of how collaboration can lead to tangible progress – CONNECT always emphasizes that we’re stronger together than we are alone. By bringing together stakeholders, from city officials to finance experts, the event fostered a spirit of shared purpose and offered valuable knowledge to help communities move towards a more sustainable future.
The Finance Hub is a project of Steel Valley Authority and Heartland Capital Strategies and partners include CONNECT, Keystone Research Center, Milken Institute, Ohio River Valley Institute, Penn State Sustainability, IBEW/NECA Project Development Platform, Reimagine Appalachia, and Resilient Cities Catalyst.
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Click below to learn more about the Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub
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