Schneider Electric has launched the Accelerating Resilient Infrastructure Initiative, a nationwide effort to rapidly deploy resilient, community-based energy systems across the United States.
It brings together over 20 partners, including Microsoft, Sunrock, Zurich, and AlphaStruxure, to support both public and private sector organizations with innovative solutions and financing. It is designed to scope, finance, and deploy resilient energy infrastructure, like microgrids, while federal incentives are still available.
Acting now will ensure organizations can still take advantage of existing funding mechanisms before deadlines approach.
The initiative’s goal is to ease stress on the grid and curb rising energy costs by scaling distributed energy resources (DERs), including solar panels, battery energy storage, geothermal heat pumps, and EV charging infrastructure. Deploying these technologies will help communities reduce their reliance on the centralized grid, offset the impact of rising utility rates, bolster energy resilience, and support long-term sustainability goals.
Project developers have identified $7.5 billion in capital to finance energy resilience projects for sites such as municipal facilities, airports, campuses, hospitals, schools, seaports, and water-treatment plants.
One of the ways projects can be completed is through long-term service agreements such as Energy as a Service (EaaS) contracts, which convert upfront capital costs into predictable, recurring payments and make advanced energy systems more accessible.
“Communities are under increasing pressure to maintain reliable, affordable power in the face of aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising demand and evolving cyber threats,” said Jana Gerber, North American President of Microgrids for Schneider Electric, in a statement. “With power outages costing the U.S. economy an estimated $150 billion each year, the need for resilient energy infrastructure has never been more urgent. This initiative brings together industry leaders to accelerate the deployment of local, future-ready energy solutions, helping communities reduce risk, control costs and ensure continuity of critical services.”
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