Impact Spotlight

Solar installations for three historic New Orleans restaurants

Technician training for local community leaders

Launching a microgrid of solar-powered restaurants in New Orleans

About

In the midst of a rapidly changing climate, New Orleans is facing increased threats from hurricanes. Since 2005’s devastating Hurricane Katrina, the city has continued to be battered by near-yearly storms. In addition to impacting daily life for city residents, power outages sabotage the tourism industry, especially restaurants – threatening historically disenfranchised BIPOC communities the most.

The city needs and has called for a decentralized power grid. In fact, New Orleans received federal funding in 2016 for microgrids. But, five years later, construction on these projects has yet to start. In response, residents have taken matters into their own hands. Feed the Second Line is a grassroots nonprofit formed by and for residents, focused on building a network of solar-powered restaurants to bolster storm resilience. The city’s 1,400 historic restaurants are poised to provide community-based mutual aid and serve as the “first responders” that New Orleans deserves.

“We know it’s a matter of time before the next hurricane hits our community - and a block-by-block local restaurant as micro-grids approach is our best bet.”

— Devin De Wulf, Founder of Feed The Second Line

HF Partnership

The Honnold Foundation has partnered with Feed the Second Line to fund solar energy for three BIPOC-owned restaurants in New Orleans, each of which has agreed to be a part of a larger microgrid system.

Restaurants will contribute $200 of their monthly energy savings towards a fund dedicated to the expansion of the microgrid. Once FTSL reaches their initial goal of 300 installations, they’ll use the combined monthly savings, totalling $60,000, to continue expanding the grid, one restaurant at a time.