Montgomery County Celebrates New ‘Resiliency Hub’ at Scotland Community Recreation Center

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 20, 2023

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Councilmembers, Montgomery County Recreation, Montgomery County Department of General Services’ Office of Energy and Sustainability (OES) and Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul Pinsky joined community members for a ribbon cutting event Thursday, April 20, at the Bette Carol Thompson Scotland Neighborhood Recreation Center in Potomac to celebrate the center as a new “resiliency hub.” The resiliency hub is designed to provide a haven for the historically Black community by keeping the center powered during electrical grid outages.

“Scotland is a special community both historically and culturally in Montgomery County and it is imperative that residents have a place to go when an emergency occurs, where necessary resources are provided,” said County Executive Elrich. “This project was intentional. My administration is committed to equity, and building a resiliency hub in a predominately and historically black community was a priority. If we are going to be inclusive and equitable, we must ensure all our communities are ready if a major power outage occurs. This resiliency hub will serve as another avenue for safety and connectedness for this community. It may be our first, but it will not be our last.”

The program installed a new rooftop solar system, a battery storage system, a natural gas generator and an LED lighting retrofit to the facility.

Several community benefits include: 

• Providing space – heating or cooling – that allows people to stay cool or warm during weather emergencies.
• The ability to charge cell phones, laptops and other devices.
• The ability to refrigerate temperature sensitive items (i.e., important medications, milk from nursing mothers, etc.).
• Helps the County advance its greenhouse gas reduction goals by providing clean, renewable energy to the center during normal day-to-day operations.
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The effort to create a resiliency hub began in February 2019 when OES applied for funding from the Maryland Energy Administration Resiliency Hub Grant Program and was awarded a grant in April of that year. OES selected Scotland to be its first resiliency hub and various design phases took place over the next two years. Construction began in June 2021 before concluding last year.

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Release ID: 23-169
Media Contact: Monika Hammer 240-463-2442
Categories: Executive Office, Recreation