Central Pines Regional Council is excited to announce a $500,000 grant award through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Future Grants (EFG) program.  As a member-driven organization that works to advance regional policy, collaboration, and assistance, this award advances our ongoing work to build an environmentally healthy, sustainable, and resilient region.  

With the dedicated partnership of municipal and county governments, including Chatham County, Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Durham County, and the City of Durham, and a host of community-based organizations, this grant will fund a regional planning process for establishing resilience hubs in disadvantaged areas within these communities.  As defined by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, resilience hubs are community-serving facilities augmented to support residents, coordinate communication, distribute resources, and reduce carbon pollution while enhancing quality of life before, during, and after disasters. 

Central Pines Regional Council is one of only 40 awardees nationwide, and the only regional council, to receive an Energy Future grant. The objective of the EFG Program is to develop innovative, actionable plans that improve critical infrastructure in and across the building, power, and/or transportation sectors to increase community resilience and make energy more affordable to disadvantaged communities that have been historically underserved or disproportionately burdened by pollution. As an awardee, CPRC will also receive technical assistance and cohort-based support through the Department of Energy, and the project will be eligible to compete for approximately $1M in implementation funding in Phase 2. 

Central Pines Executive Director Lee Worsley said, “This grant award is a testament to the power of collaboration, where communities come together for greater results. Additionally, I am proud of our Central Pines Regional Council team, particularly Langston Alexander, who worked diligently on the application.” 

Through this award, disadvantaged communities across our region will have the opportunity to collaboratively plan resilience hubs that address their needs before, during, and after disasters. Building off the incredible work our member governments and community-based organizations are already doing, this project is another step toward a flourishing, resilient region.