SSDN Celebrates New Growth in 2021
As we steadily navigate through the challenges brought our way in 2020, we want to share our deep gratitude for our members’ passion, expertise, and leadership in recovering our Southeast communities after COVID-19. Thank you to our 2020 Steering Committee for the invaluable guidance they have provided over the last year. In 2021, we continue…
Read MoreEnhancing Sustainability in Small Southern Communities
Every day, we have the opportunity to hear about our members’ innovative projects, recent successes, and exciting ambitions for building and implementing sustainability in their communities. Through our Workgroups, committees, surveys, trainings, and more, we also have the pleasure of receiving valuable feedback from our members about how their participation at SSDN continues to broaden…
Read MoreSSDN Launches the Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center
In August 2021, SSDN launched the Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center (SSRC) program. This collaborative effort between SSDN and its many valued partners strives to provide more education and direct guidance to SSDN’s local government members related to federal funding opportunities that support climate action. SSDN believes that local governments in the Southeast, who have been…
Read MoreNashville’s Partnership with Goodwill Industries Leads to Green Jobs for the City
Resilience is the result of sustainability being the driving force of a community’s growth. With this in mind, SSDN’s Southeast Sustainable Communities Fund (SSCF) provides governments in the Southeast with the financial capacity to foster tangible, resilient growth in their communities. Equipped with a $300,000 grant from SSDN, Tennessee homeowners are now able to rely…
Read MoreLocal governments take active role in reducing North Carolina carbon emissions, setting own goals, weighing in on Duke Energy’s long range power plans
North Carolina is on the front lines of climate change, managing through hurricane seasons with increasingly frequent and intense storms and battling health and economic impacts from other extreme weather events – intense heat, drought and heavy rainfall. In the last few years, local governments across the state have taken on the task of reducing…
Read MoreVolusia County, FL: An All Ages Approach to Community Resiliency
If you hear the words “flooding” and “Florida” in the same sentence, you would not be alone in thinking of a beachfront community. However, inland areas in Florida can be just as, if not more, susceptible to flooding than their coastal neighbors Spring Hill, a neighborhood in DeLand, Florida, has experienced repeated flooding for years.…
Read MoreDuke Energy Solar Expansion Approved by Florida Regulators
As was announced in recent news, utility regulators at the Florida Public Service Commission voted 4-to-1 to approve Duke Energy Florida’s Clean Energy Connections program. Under the program, Duke will build ~750 MW of new solar projects. Thanks to the input and direct engagement from SSDN and dozens of Florida local government sustainability directors, approximately…
Read MoreSSDN 2020 Annual Report
Our culture has always been focused on building trusted relationships, and those relationships have persevered in a time of disconnection and intense anxiety. As a result, our members continued to show up for the network and for each other. They continued to demonstrate impact in their communities despite insurmountable challenges. Read the full 2020 Annual Report.…
Read MoreSSDN Welcomes Virginia to our Network
SSDN is pleased to share that it will begin working in the state of Virginia as of January 1, 2021.
Read MoreResiliency Through Solar: How Cape Canaveral, FL is Protecting Residents with Independent Energy
As a barrier island with only one bridge and central power line connecting it to the rest of Florida, the City of Cape Canaveral is particularly vulnerable to power outages caused by hurricanes. After enduring several years of powerful storms, the city saw an urgent need for a more sustainable and resilient energy source to…
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