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Energy: Street Plan


Step 1. Do an analysis of your communal energy needs on your street. Do you share a well? Are you all connected to the same fiber-optic cable, phone lines, electric wires?


Step 2. Identify residents with critical medical equipment needs on your street. 


Step 3. Meet with your neighbors to determine if you should invest in a shared generator to power your well, a kitchen that you could share for food prep, or key medical equipment. Kitchen options include a wood-fired pizza oven, a Dutch oven over a campfire, a propane grill, a solar oven, or a rocket stove.


Step 4. Does your street have streetlights or are you in a rural area and you’re used to the darkness? Imagine if the power went out for weeks or months. Talk with your neighbors about investing in solar-powered lights to set up around your urban or suburban street in the event of a disaster.


Step 5. As you go through the Ready Your Street program, be sure to map the location of all utility shutoffs.


Step 6. If you live on a shady street, you might consider setting up solar panels in the sunniest yard so that everyone can charge their devices on a shared mini generator during emergencies.


Step 7. Create agreements with other streets for sharing large generators and battery systems. Establish priority lists for residents with medical equipment. Design rotation schedules for community charging stations. 


Step 8. Apply for community resilience grants, organize neighborhood fundraising, or establish cost-sharing agreements for communal energy sources such as community-scale battery systems, portable generator trailers, and solar charging stations. 


Step 9. Every quarter, test the community power systems. Conduct annual equipment maintenance and updating of resource inventories. Train new residents in managing and using the systems.


Indicators of a Successful Street-Level Energy Plan


  • Proper generator operation and carbon monoxide prevention

  • Regular testing of equipment and battery replacement

  • Neighbor coordination, including resource sharing agreements and communication

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