Sabathani’s Community Energy Project: Building Resilience, Equity, and a Greener Future
Welcome to Sabathani Community Center’s Community Energy Project, a transformative initiative aimed at creating a resilient, equitable, and sustainable South Minneapolis. We believe in harnessing the power of community to address climate change, systemic inequalities, and poverty simultaneously. Join us on this journey towards a cleaner, greener, and more just future.
Our Vision: Environmental Justice, Resilience, and Racial Equity
In the face of climate-related emergencies, power outages, and natural disasters, our South Minneapolis community deserves a trusted haven. The Community Energy Project is a vital part of the broader 38th Street THRIVE Strategic Development Plan for the City of Minneapolis. It embodies our commitment to:
- Resilience Hub: Establishing Sabathani as a Resilience Hub for the neighborhood, providing support, power, and services during extended outages or weather related events.
- Energy Efficiency: Renovating Sabathani’s physical building to become more reliable and energy-efficient by replacing our outdated heating and cooling system with a geothermal system. This eco-friendly upgrade reduces operating costs and pollution in our community.
- Microgrid Technology: Installing a rooftop solar array, microgrid technology and battery backup storage, enabling Sabathani and its critical community services to remain operational even during extended power outages.
- Workforce Development: Providing a living laboratory and training center for energy efficiency, solar, and geothermal workforce training, ensuring job placement and empowering our community through green employment opportunities.
Project Timeline
Starting in January 2026, Sabathani will install:
- Geothermal heating & cooling (Jan–Oct 2026)
- 252 kW rooftop solar to power the building (Spring 2026)
- 500 kW battery storage for power during outages (Summer 2026)
Addressing Systemic Inequalities
Our mission extends beyond environmental objectives; it’s about social justice. Sabathani is actively:
- Resilience Hub: We are building a resilience hub to support our community in times of need and addressing systemic inequalities.
- Workforce Opportunities: Providing job training in sustainable careers and creating economic opportunities that uplift our community.
- Addressing Climate Change: By transitioning from 60-year-old polluting, fossil-fuel boilers to a geothermal HVAC system, we are taking tangible steps to reduce our carbon footprint and provide cleaner energy.
Stay Connected & Get Involved
If you would like to stay informed about the project or if you have interest in joining a community stakeholders group, please click here to sign up for email updates.
If you have questions, please email us at info@sabathani.org.