South Hempstead Church "Turns On" Renewable Energy

On Thursday December 2^nd, 2010 at about 2:30pm the first solar panels were installed on the roof of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead/United Church of Christ.  Two days later, the solar installation technicians completed the connections linking the renewable energy source to the electrical supply system.  Almost instantly the revolving wheel in the building's electric meter slowed almost to a halt.  At that moment, the church facility became a power producer with the potential to generate more electricity than it consumes.  

The new solar panels generate approximately 10 kilowatts of electricity and are the major capital outlay among several energy efficiency upgrades the church is implementing in 2010 and 2011.  According to the Long Island Power Authority, this solar panel system is expected to reduce the church electrical bill by $200 per month.  By replacing light fixtures, installing new insulation and a few other lower cost improvements, South Hempstead church trustees intend to lower energy costs by at least another $100 monthly, or as much as $4000 per year.

The solar panels were installed by a general contractor, with assistance from other local businesses (building auditor, architect, landscaper, etc.]).  The panels, installation and related expenses cost just under $65,000.  The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) provided a $35,000 subsidy from its Solar Pioneer Program.  After installation and inspection, the rebate check from LIPA will reduce the total expenditure to $30,000.  With the anticipated savings, the church will recoup its investment in about 10 years.  The solar panels have a 25-year warranty, which means they will pay for themselves several times over.

The economic benefits to the congregation and local economy are evident.  The ramifications of this investment are much broader.  The church has helped renew the environment by reducing its carbon footprint and helped our country take a small step closer to energy independence.  And because the church serves a predominantly minority community, it has created access to the emerging green economy for thousands of low and moderate income families.  “Going green” has become a way to increase the effectiveness of prayer, advocacy, and education.

Since 1995 I have served as pastor of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead.  This investment, therefore, is personally gratifying because I was able to make the case for green building upgrades to my own faith community.  It would be misleading however, to attribute the congregation’s decision to go forward with the pastor’s powers of persuasion.  This important step was made possible by the sacrificial giving of a community of working and middle class church folks.  They want a cleaner environment, energy independence, and a stronger economy.  But more immediately, these folks want to stretch their giving dollars so more of their money goes to ministry and mission.  They want the broader community to see that religious faith is more than personal spiritual fulfillment and the celebration of special holidays. For people of faith, “going green” is not a trendy choice.  It is a practical way to change the world in ways that reflect our love for humanity and all of creation. 

“Green” is the Way from Poverty to Abundance

The recession is over, but the economic crisis continues.  Why?  The United States is in the midst of a major transformation of its economy.   

Gone is the economic growth that was fueled by easy credit, Wall Street financial gamesmanship, speculation and debt.  During this generational transformation, technology, health, sciences, biotechnology and other emerging industries are driving economic growth.  Perhaps the most fascinating of these industries is the one that is comprised of so-called “green”, “clean-tech” or “sustainable” businesses that provide access to renewable energy sources, energy saving products and services, alternative energy sources, and the services, products, systems and processes created to reduce the consumption of carbon fuels.

New green businesses are being launched daily.  In the New York-metropolitan region, it is projected that the number of green jobs will grow from 25,000 in 2006 to nearly 200,000 by 2038[i]. Commercial property owners and homeowners are purchasing more and more energy saving products and services.  The greening of America will reduce harmful emissions from carbon fuels, lessen our reliance on foreign oil, and lead to energy independence.

The greatest potential for growth in the green economy is in low and moderate income communities.  These communities have the largest number of homes with inefficient window and heating systems, insulation that needs replacement, and older, energy-greedy lighting.  Poor communities represent the largest potential market for affordable energy-saving solutions.

Poor communities have the highest unemployment, lowest educational attainment, lowest number of business starts, fewest sustainable businesses and lowest indices of private investment.  For all the reasons outlined here, these communities stand to gain the most from green job training, green job creation, and green business startups. And since the growth potential is the greatest in these communities, green investments in poor communities can lift the entire U.S. economy.

Why, then, is capital not rushing to make green investments in poor communities?  To begin with, when it comes to energy in the United States, carbon-based fuels are “king” in terms of market capitalization and government subsidies.  Investment in renewable energy and all things green is growing, but most of this growth is among the affluent.  High upfront costs make green products (like solar panels) unaffordable in poor communities.  Add to these factors the historic lack of investment in communities with concentrated poverty (race, fear, and the availability of many more affluent communities) and you have a perfect storm of reasons for “green” economic growth to bypass poor people.

Transformational change in poor communities is unlikely to occur unless it is led by organizations and individuals who understand the strengths, weaknesses, assets and liabilities of these communities as well as the dynamics of the emerging green economy.  With their experience and organizational capacity, faith-based and nonprofit groups are well-positioned to assume this role.  To lead such a transformation, however, these organizations must see green initiatives as strategies to achieve social justice objectives.  They must follow the example of the residents of Harlan County, Kentucky and  embrace “going green” as the best way possible to reduce poverty, stabilize affordable housing stock, eliminate joblessness, and create wealth for low and moderate income stakeholders.

How?  Faith-based and nonprofit organizations can begin community transformation by “greening” the facilities that they own.  Low cost energy saving strategies like energy efficient light bulbs and insulation can save hundreds of dollars annually.  Moderately priced upgrades like energy efficient windows, boilers, water heaters, and appliances can lower costs even more.  Major renovations like installing solar panels have higher up-front costs, but reduce energy costs for decades.  By lowering operating costs, green building upgrades allow financial resources to be devoted to mission-focused purposes instead of higher utility bills. 

Knowledge gained from green building upgrades can lead nonprofits and faith-based groups to direct their unemployed or underemployed constituents to the growing number of green job training opportunities.  Some groups may launch their own green jobs initiatives.  Other organizations can structure innovative business models that help low income residents create wealth, like the Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland, Ohio. They can form partnerships with established businesses, academic institutions, and regional nonprofits that understand the market potential for green building upgrades in poor communities and need local organizational partners to help them realize their goals.  These partnerships can lead to the creation of new green businesses in weatherization, food systems, native horticulture, and sustainable manufacturing.

Faith-based organizations and community based nonprofits are institutions that have longevity and a proven capacity to serve low and moderate income populations.  They are mission-focused in the pursuit of strategies to achieve social justice, spiritual development, community and economic development, and the elimination of health care disparities. Collectively they generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year to pay their staffs, operate their buildings and pursue their missions and ministries. By conducting “green” economic and community development initiatives, community based nonprofits and faith-based organizations can achieve social justice objectives and lead transformation in the communities they serve. 

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[i] Solnik, Claude. "LIA lays out vision for L.I. as green tech leader." Dolan Media Newswires. 15 September 2010. http://www.dolanmedia.com/view.cfm?recID=630742 (26 September 2010).

Why Faith Leaders & Congregations Must Lead the Rebirth of Poor Communities

Most poor people on Long Island live in neighborhoods where many other people are poor.  Sociologists call this “concentrated poverty”.  On Long Island, pockets of concentrated poverty tend to be within communities that have the highest numbers of African Americans, Latino Americans, and other people of color.  This pattern of segregation and poverty   _communities with 70% working and middle class homeowners and  30% poor people  amidst larger communities of affluence and extreme wealth_  is what makes Long Island one of the most segregated regions in the United States of America.

Poor communities have a low proportion of business investment, a lack of banking services, few full-service supermarkets and/or places to purchase fresh produce, and in the current economic crisis, the highest numbers of home foreclosures and the highest unemployment.  Racists may believe that people are poor because they are black, brown or red.  In the richest country in the world, however, people and communities are poor because human, social, and financial capital is not managed and invested to create wealth for the benefit of these people and communities.

Another characteristic of communities with concentrated poverty is the high proportion of places of worship.  One such community in Nassau has a population of over 10,000 people and over 50 congregations.  While most of these congregations are small (under 40 members), and a number of them do not own the properties they worship in, these faith communities are perhaps the most important institutions in the region.  They have longevity, they provide services and spiritual guidance, they have experienced and effective leadership, and collectively they raise tens of millions of dollars each year to pay their staffs, operate their buildings and pursue the divine calling to mission and ministry.

We are living in a unique time for faith leaders and congregations on Long Island and everywhere in this country where patterns of segregation and poverty exist.  After decades of proposed solutions to eliminating poverty in our communities, government has proven itself to be impotent.  In the ongoing cycles of economic expansion, depression and recession since the birth of our country, the free market has proven itself to be unwilling, unable and often hostile to the notion of uplifting these communities.   As the only leaders and organizations with a historical commitment to the poor, faith leaders and congregations must see the rebirth of their communities as not something to be done in addition to ministry, or something that only the” big churches” do,  but as an essential element of mission and ministry.  Housing, economic and community development is social justice ministry.  Faith leaders and congregations must lead the rebirth of poor communities on Long Island and across the country.  

In my next post, I will explore reasons that the emerging green economy is perhaps the greatest opportunity today for the revitalization of poor communities, and why faith leaders and congregations can lead their communities to opportunity and investment in “green”.