Groundswell is bringing energy savings and critical home repairs to families in LaGrange, Georgia, and West Memphis, Arkansas—with support from Google—connecting community investment to real, household-level impact.
In LaGrange, Google is investing $1 million to support Groundswell’s SOUL® (Save On Utilities Long-Term) program, helping at least 50 income-qualified households receive no-cost home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades. In West Memphis, this work is part of Google’s $25 million Energy Impact Fund, where Groundswell is supporting at least 40 families through a similar model—starting with essential repairs and followed by high-impact energy improvements.
 |
“Google’s $1 million contribution will support critical home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades for at least 50 LaGrange families, providing long-term energy bill relief and preserving home ownership,” said Michelle Moore, CEO of Groundswell. “We appreciate Google’s commitment to being a good neighbor, and we’re honored to work alongside them to build a more affordable energy future for LaGrange.” |
|
“Google’s $1 million contribution supports critical home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades for at least 40 West Memphis families, bringing down energy bills and preserving affordable housing for the long-term,” added Moore. “Serving our West Memphis neighbors is joyful work.”
With residential electricity costs rising more than 13% nationwide since 2025, SOUL® addresses one of the root causes of high energy bills: inefficient, aging homes. By combining necessary repairs—like roofing, electrical, and structural fixes—with energy upgrades, the program delivers lasting savings, safer homes, and stronger housing stability.
SOUL® by the numbers:
- 164 homes completed
- $1.7M+ invested
- 34% average energy savings
- $20,000 average investment per home
- 53% of homes require repairs before upgrades
- 27% require major repairs
This work reflects a growing model for how community investment, infrastructure, and affordability solutions can move together—delivering real benefits for families who need them most.
Learn more or apply:
LaGrange, GA: https://lagrangesoul.org/
West Memphis, AR: https://groundswell.org/soul/west-memphis-arkansas/
Groundswell Shows How Affordability and Resilience Go Hand in Hand in DC
Last week, DC Green Bank, Groundswell, and the DC Chamber of Commerce hosted From Energy Bills to Housing Costs: Building an Affordable and Resilient DC at the historic Howard Theatre, where solar power and a new HVAC system are keeping energy bills down.
Emceed by the Washington Business Journal’s Caitlin Lyons, the Earth Day event brought together local leaders, residents, and business owners to spotlight what’s working to cut energy costs and build resilience across the District.
“I’m not as stressed as I was when I received my bills because I know I have help. It has improved the quality of life.”
– Nadege Nouviale, Residential DC Solar for All Subscriber
Mayor Muriel Bowser provided keynote remarks, noting, “I think a big question of the moment is whether it is possible to be pro-growth and pro-climate. And in DC, the answer is yes, and we’re proving that it is.”Developers, business leaders, and residents also discussed how DC can serve as a model for other cities grappling with rising utility and housing costs and how resilient development creates jobs and a future-ready community.
Cutting Energy Bills for DC Families
The event highlighted programs like Solar for All, which is serving 30,000 DC residents, delivering nearly $6 million in annual energy savings and putting money directly back into residents’ pockets. Groundswell CEO Michelle Moore moderated a conversation with Jessica Ennis, Senior Vice President, Invest in our Future, Nadege Nouviale, a residential DC Solar for All subscriber, and Chris Sewell, Founder and CEO of DC-Based Uprise Solar.
Groundswell’s CEO Michelle Moore on Turning Big Bets into Real Community Impact
Last week at The Rockefeller Foundation’sBig Bets for America: Baltimore, Groundswell CEO Michelle Moore took the stage to discuss how to turn capital into real community impact. Michelle highlighted Groundswell’s Community Resilience Hubs as a shining example of collaborative philanthropy in action. These hubs show what’s possible when investment truly reaches neighborhoods—delivering lower energy costs, greater resilience, and essential services where they’re needed most.
Michelle shared powerful insights about the importance of designing solutions with communities, not just for them. By partnering deeply with churches, local organizations, and neighbors, Groundswell’s approach ensures that every project reflects the unique strengths and needs of each community. The result? Lasting impact and stronger, more resilient places to call home.
Learn more about Community Resilience Hubs
The Groundswell Way Podcast:
More Than Buildings: The Human Side of Resilience
In this final dispatch from the 2025 Rural Renaissance Roadshow in Opelika, Alabama, The Groundswell Way closes out its on-the-ground series with a powerful conversation between host Matthew Wesley Williams and Andrew Freear, Director of Auburn University’s Rural Studio.
Reflecting on decades of work in Alabama’s Black Belt, Freear reframes resilience as something intentionally designed over time—not just a response to crisis, but the result of long-term commitment to people and place. Through the Rural Studio, students become “citizen architects,” working alongside communities to co-create housing, public spaces, and systems that are built to last.
The conversation underscores a critical truth: buildings are often the easiest part. Sustaining the people, organizations, and local leadership behind them is where resilience is truly tested. From libraries operating on limited resources to adaptable, multi-generational housing models, Freear shares how thoughtful, community-driven design can advance affordability, dignity, and durability.
As the Roadshow series comes to a close, this episode leaves listeners with a clear takeaway: resilience isn’t just about what we build—it’s about how we build, who we build with, and whether we stay long enough to see it through.
