Climate Initiatives

As a frontline organization committed to creating sustainable communities, NEWCC is working to create pathways to resiliency through improved climate preparedness, increased energy security, renewed infrastructure, and heightened economic prosperity.

The price of being poor in Detroit:

Households with low income spend up to 20 percent of their earnings on utility costs, greatly impacting their ability to cover basic needs like food, shelter, and medical expenses.

These same households disproportionately bear the burden of environmental and climate shifts that create flooding, unreliability in energy access and price spikes.

Environmental challenges are particularly acute in the communities NEWCC serves, due to their industrial pasts, which have left legacies of pollution and brownfield sites.

Localized pollution problems, including poor air quality and contaminated land, pose health risks that are worsened by increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flooding.

NEWCC offers targeted benefits aimed at revitalizing the community and fostering sustainability:

Green Space Activation: Converting impermeable surfaces to permeable ones to expand community parks and establish new green spaces, enhancing environmental resilience and community health.

Solar Energy Initiatives: Implementing an innovative community solar model that includes hub sites and residential solar installations with battery storage to lower energy costs, reduce the community’s carbon footprint, and generate revenue for the community.

Educational Opportunities and Job Training: Providing residents with training in solar and green stormwater infrastructure, creating job opportunities and equipping the community with vital skills for the growing green sector.

Digital Inclusion: Establishing solar-powered charging and WIFI stations to ensure all residents have access to digital resources, crucial for education and communication.

Economic Empowerment: Prioritizing bids from local, minority, and black-owned businesses for project contracts to boost the local green economy and foster broader economic participation.

Community Engagement and Governance: Engaging community members through forums and a structured governance model, ensuring that projects are community-driven and benefits are widely shared.

Our Climate Projects

Click on one of the icons below to learn more about each project.

Green Spaces &
Natural Places

Out in Community

Solar Charging & Bike Repair Stations

NEWCC operates and maintains four solar-powered, WiFi-equipped charging stations throughout the North End. The wifi at these charging stations is accessed anywhere from 200 to more than 500 times each month. They have become neighborhood gathering spots, cultivating community. NEWCC plans to install several more stations throughout our service area, including Highland Park and Hamtramck, in the coming months, ensuring equitable internet and energy access for the community.

NEWCC has installed eight bike-repair stations throughout the North End, Hamtramck, and Highland Park as a complement to the solar charging stations. The bike-repair stations are fully equipped with tools, an air pump, and instructional videos on common bike repairs. Our goal is to make biking more accessible for the community and subsequently reduce reliance on high-emission modes of transportation.

Annual Tour Highlights

Each October, in honor of Solar Awareness Month, National Energy Awareness Month, Black Energy Awareness Month, and Children’s Environmental Health Month, NEWCC and Solar Neighbors proudly host our annual Solar Tour. While the event is named a “Solar” tour, its purpose extends beyond solar energy to highlight a diverse range of green initiatives. Past tours have featured engaging in-person activities, such as bus tours of solar installations and scavenger hunts for sustainability projects throughout the city. Additionally, the event includes virtual learning sessions and panels led by energy and sustainability experts from across the nation. Participants also have the opportunity to win eco-friendly prizes, such as solar generators and backyard composting kits. Check out photos from previous tours below and stay tuned for details on how you can get involved in this year’s event!