Chris Robertson

Cascade Resilience, LLC

Neighborhood Resilience Centers (NRCs): Producing green energy in normal times, and powering critical facilities while assuring electricity and communications resilience for the public in emergency and disaster scenarios. NRCs help communities survive disasters. Life without electric power and communications is crippling. Earthquakes, wildfire, snow/ice storms, high winds, power shutoffs and cyber terrorism can damage power and communication systems. These threats pose serious risks to our families, neighborhoods and communities. NRCs provide a gathering place for the public to recharge phones, computers, and medical devices, and access the internet via a satellite-based WiFi hot spot during disasters when the electric grid is not available. We will build a fleet of NRCs – across urban areas and in small towns – at neighborhood locations within walking distance of the public. NRCs are indispensible to institutions with responsibilities to respond to disasters, such as school districts, health care systems, utilities, first responders, and emergency management agencies. Other organizations will find significant value in NRCs, including multi-family dwellings, eldercare facilities, community centers, and businesses seeking post-disaster continuity and sustainability leadership. NRCs produce green energy and economic benefit for host facilities in normal operating conditions. Following a disaster, NRCs disconnect from the grid and energize critical facility electric loads, and provide electricity and communications to the public, 24/7/365 until the grid is restored.