Accelerating resiliency planning in communities across the Commonwealth
Accelerating resiliency planning in communities across the Commonwealth
The Fall 2022 Resiliency Academy series focused on the Four Components of a Resilient Community. Topics include:
Andrew will present a brief conceptual overview of blended finance (use of catalytic capital from public or philanthropic sources to increase private sector investment in resilience projects) and examples of blended finance in the climate change resilience context in the U.S.
Michael will present on "making the case for federal funding" to provide insight on how to position your community to benefit from the recent historic level of federal investment and effectively compete for federal awards. He will cover how recent legislation, federal actions, and administration policy provide an incentive for local governments to advance climate resilience, environmental justice, and sustainability priorities.
Valentina will give a brief explanation of Moody's inclusion of climate mitigation considerations as part of their local government rating criteria.
Liz will speak to opportunities for resilient buildings stemming from recent Federal and Virginia legislation. Highlights will include funding coming from the Federal IIJA and IRA, as well as new requirements for municipal building projects under the Virginia High Performance Building Act for Localities.
Sarah will review the District of Columbia’s climate adaptation plan, Climate Ready DC, and its initiatives to prepare its built environment for future climate conditions, such as the resilient design guidelines that provide step-by-step strategies to incorporate resilient design into new and existing buildings. Other adaptation initiatives include a new FloodSmart Homes program, and a Blue-Green Infrastructure neighborhood strategy in Southwest DC that aim to reduce climate risks to vulnerable communities.
This 15-minute educational session demonstrates how resilient buildings & infrastructure can be a primary strategy for mitigating impact of climate change, because it saves money, improves people’s lives and ensures a more sustainable future.
Ben will present a case study from Grissom Lane Apartments; a net-zero energy development in Blacksburg, Virginia. The focus will be on resilient aspects of the project, such as: passive survivability, building durability, high performance cold climate heat pumps, on-site renewable energy generation, and the unique opportunity for on-site battery storage.
Tom will discuss the background, goals, partnerships, and implementation plan for Virginia Tech’s “RIPE-Partnership” project, a new $80 million project funded by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.
Andrés Clarens is a Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia and Associate Director of the University’s Environmental Resilience Institute. Their group studies decarbonization of infrastructure systems.
Brent Wills has been involved in restorative agricultural systems and conservation for 25 years and is the owner of Wills Soil & Stream in Montvale, Virginia, providing ecological land management services for farmers and land managers in the mid-Atlantic region.
David and Brandon’s presentation will focus on MEA’s commitment to and developments in promoting resilient energy system adoption across Maryland’s communities (especially those that disproportionately experience socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities and challenges), critical infrastructure, businesses, industries, higher learning institutions, and government facilities. They will focus on the development of the Resilient Maryland portfolio, what they learned, and how effective all programs within it have been.
Queen Shabazz will discuss the Community Resiliency Hub that the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative is developing in Petersburg, VA. This solar resilience hub, located in the Heights area of Petersburg, will provide the surrounding community with heating and cooling in times of power outages, training for residents who are entering/returning to the workforce, and a space for a soup kitchen and food pantry.
Andrea will discuss FACS’ Solar Sanctuaries program that aims to make the concept of resilience hubs a reality on the ground in Virginia. Leveraging the power of faith communities, the program will install solar and battery backup systems on faith buildings, primarily in rural and low-income communities. These Solar Sanctuaries will save lives during a time of increasingly adverse climate events and public health risks.