Across the country, growing numbers of storms and floods and fires are cutting off electricity and endangering communities. Solar-powered resilience is playing a key role in keeping communities safe, and key players here in Washington are ramping up new initiatives.

Resilience Defined

Energy resilience is, very simply, the ability of energy systems to continue operating when events such as natural disasters cause disruptions. 

Essential to that resilience, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) observed, is “the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions through adaptable and holistic planning and technical solutions”. In other words, resilience is about planning ahead so communities can continue to function when the grid fails and then bounce back quickly.

Rooftop solar, community solar and microgrids as well as batteries that store that power play an important role in that resilience. Two factors make solar energy unique, the US Department of Energy (DoE) noted. One is that solar generation can be distributed so individual buildings can have solar systems on their rooftops to meet their power needs, and the other is that solar power can be stored without the need for fuel deliveries. While solar panels produce power during the daytime, batteries store that energy and keep delivering it so that homes have the energy they need and businesses keep operating. 

Nationally, distributed solar, storage, microgrids, and distributed energy resources (DERs) are already changing the traditional understanding of energy resilience for power systems and communities, the DoE observed. It expects these technologies to contribute up to 40 percent of the nation’s electricity generation by 2035, allowing continuity of electricity services during grid outages and enabling communities to mitigate threats related to extreme weather or cyberattacks. 

Resilience is Essential

Readily available solar energy and storage can mitigate a multitude of problems. 

With solar and storage, grocery stores can keep freezers cold and reduce food waste during outages. Individuals can keep refrigerators and stoves working. Hospitals can continue serving patients, and pharmacies can keep medicines safe for usage. Installers will benefit from putting in storage systems, and local government can reduce the risk of blackouts. 

Additionally, floods can cause utility substations to shut down. Police and fire stations can immediately switch to using energy from their solar panels and batteries to keep operating and to provide emergency services. When power is restored, those emergency service operators can reconnect to the power grid automatically. 

Resilience in Washington State

Fortunately, there is significant funding available in Washington state to make these national trends a reality locally.

When it announced in 2023 that the Grid Resilience and Reliability program would provide $50 million in federal and state funding over five years, the Washington State Department of Commerce (WADOC) specifically said the focus would be on modernizing the electric grid to reduce the impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters. The program aimed to ensure the reliability of the power sector's infrastructure and provide affordable, reliable, and clean electricity to all communities. 

Building on that program, WADOC opened applications in September 2025 for $32 million in clean energy grants for the 2025-2027 cycle. The program is designed to support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy resilience, and make clean energy more accessible. It emphasizes projects that strengthen resilience to outages, modernize grid operations, or improve energy access in underserved areas. 

This funding helps cities, counties and tribes plan for resilient buildings, water systems and emergency services.

For farms, for instance, the Nature Conservancy said agrivoltaics here in Washington may be enticing as a way to produce clean energy, preserve agricultural land, sustain food production, and support greater economic resilience for farmers simultaneously. During a grid power outage, for example, farmers with solar power can continue to refrigerate crops and store milk from cows. 

Research by the Washington State Academy of Sciences confirms that solar and storage can contribute to strengthening energy resilience, especially during emergencies and extreme weather. Storage is key for energy independence, managing changing seasonal demand patterns and reducing reliance on the grid, particularly in communities subject to frequent extreme weather events.

Children of the Sun Solar Initiative - US. Dept of Energy

Case Studies

Readily available solar and storage can strengthen resilience and keep communities functioning during emergencies.

In Northeastern Washington, the Spokane Indian Housing Authority decided to install community solar for resiliency after the Cayuse Mountain Fire destroyed homes and trees across the Spokane Reservation in 2016. The fire damaged 80 power poles, temporarily leaving the Spokane Reservation without electricity. When the power went out, so did the water pumps needed to protect housing complexes and the administration building from the encroaching fire. The Tribe installed the Children of the Sun Solar Initiative with 640 kW of capacity on 32 public and residential buildings. It then added another to provide 699 kW on 119 low-income rental homes. 

In Western Washington, solar installer Solphos noted that both Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy report fewer grid disruptions in areas with higher solar-plus-battery adoption. This resilience is vital in a region susceptible to winter storms and the occasional wind event. These DERs also bolster the broader electricity grid by reducing peak loads and stabilizing voltage profiles.

In Kitsap County, Tessera said its office can continue producing power even if the surrounding grid goes down. It can provide a place where people can charge devices, stay warm, and access essential services during power outages or natural disasters. It completed a clean energy and resiliency hub project with a 158 kW solar photovoltaic array and a 125 kW / 220 kWh battery storage system that helps the company meet its commitment to sustainable operations. 

These examples show how solar and storage together are turning resilience into a reality for communities across the state, even when natural disasters shut down the electricity grid.