by Jen Stevenson Zepeda & Sari Kayyali
RUN-GJC (aka Resilient Urban Neighborhoods - Green Justice Alliance) is a coalition of about nine organizations that have been working together for roughly six years to design and develop community-led microgrids. The microgrids use clean energy to the maximum extent possible, avoid fossil fuels altogether, and take cues from what the communities want. They are currently in the development phase in Chelsea, MA and Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. (Stay tuned for our groundbreaking that will happen very soon!) All of Chelsea has an environmental justice designation per the State of Massachusetts definition; Chinatown is also an environmental justice neighborhood and has the worst air quality in the state. So these microgrids have the ability to provide reliable, clean energy in addition to resilience! (To learn more about microgrids, please see the 'what is a microgrid' section of our website.)
Recently, RUN-GJC secured funding to hire a Microgrid Manager. The new hire, Sari Kayyali, will split his time between the Chelsea and Chinatown projects, ensuring everything is smooth sailing. Combining his experience with the added bandwidth and capacity this gives GreenRoots and Chinatown Power (the organizations anchoring the project in each area), is a BIG DEAL! We thought we'd celebrate by doing a quick get-to-know-you interview with Sari.
JSZ: Hi! Congratulations on being hired as the Microgrid Manager for both GreenRoots and Chinatown Power, Inc.! Can you tell us about yourself?
SK: I grew up in the Greater Boston Area before leaving for college to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. After college, I moved to New York City, where I was an engineering consultant for the New York City Subway, but I was always interested in renewable energy development. These projects offered the perfect opportunity to combine my experience with what I was passionate about, while serving the community in my home city.
JSZ: These community microgrids are complex, yet hold the potential to serve as a new model for how energy and resilience are treated. What excites you the most about them?
SK: For me, the most exciting thing about microgrids is how they offer so many benefits while being so accessible. Oftentimes, the people who can afford to invest in energy and resilience improvements are, ironically, the ones who need those improvements the least. Because microgrids effectively pay for themselves, communities of all income levels have the opportunity to reap the benefits.
JSZ: Benefits are a great topic! I know you just started, but could you give us some examples of what the benefits might be?
SK: There are plenty! On a basic level, when the main grid goes down, your lights stay on and your internet stays connected. The rest of the time, we can monitor electricity demand to strategically alternate between the main grid and the microgrid to save you money on your electric bill while reducing the dependence on inefficient "peaking" plants that energy companies rely on when demand is high. With microgrids we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, improve the resilience of our electric grid, and save people money all at the same time.
JSZ: What did you learn about these projects in your interviewing process that you found surprising?
SK: I was pleasantly surprised to discover the level of excitement among community members and the efforts being made to empower them to make energy decisions for themselves. It's refreshing to see the community being treated as a partner rather than an obstacle.
JSZ: Now that you've been at the new gig for a few days, could you give us a sense of what types of tasks you will be involved with on a regular basis?
SK: Well, we have a lot of work ahead of us. The microgrid is still in the planning stages, so in the short term, much of my time will be spent coordinating between contractors, municipal departments, interested community members, and building owners to make sure the design is agreeable to all parties. As we transition to installation, I'll be working closely with contractors to ensure we deliver high quality work that meets the needs and desires of the community while staying on time and on budget. All the while, I'll be providing regular status updates to building owners and tenants and keeping them involved in the decision-making process. As the project goes on, we'll be looking to foster interest among the community and keep bringing more buildings onto the microgrid.
This is all great, Sari. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today! We are excited to be a part of this work and to see how it develops moving forward. For anyone looking for more information on this project we encourage you to check out the Resilient Urban Neighborhoods - Green Justice Alliance page. If you have questions for Sari, you can reach him at sarik@greenrootschelsea.org.
Banner Image by Los Muertos Crew from Pexels