EVENTS

We Got the Power: Strengthening Healthcare Through Solar Energy in Douglas

Celebrating a Chiricahua Sustainability Milestone

This National Health Center Week, Chiricahua Community Health Centers is proud to celebrate a major milestone: the completion and official switch-on of our new solar energy and resilience project in Douglas.

While solar panels symbolize a commitment to sustainability, this project is really about something even more important: keeping healthcare available when our community needs it most.

This is dubbed the Chiricahua solar energy project.

Why Energy Resilience Matters for Chiricahua Clinics

Residents of Douglas are familiar with the challenges that can come with an aging and sometimes strained power infrastructure. Whether caused by storms, extreme heat, or unexpected outages, interruptions to electrical service can have real consequences for healthcare facilities.

Reliable power is essential for patient records, communications systems, laboratory equipment, vaccine storage, medical devices, and the everyday operations that keep clinics running smoothly.

And let’s be honest, nobody wants the power to go out while the dentist is in the middle of a procedure.

Investing in Reliable Care Across Chiricahua Facilities

To strengthen our ability to serve the community, Chiricahua has installed four new solar and battery microgrid systems designed to provide greater energy resilience across our facilities.

These systems will help keep critical healthcare services operating during outages and emergencies, ensuring patients continue to have access to the care they need. In addition to increasing reliability, the project supports long-term sustainability goals and helps reduce energy costs that can be redirected toward patient services.

Simply put, these investments help ensure that our clinics can remain open and operational when our community needs us most.

Chiricahua’s Partnerships for Clean Energy

This achievement was made possible through the collaboration and support of Collective Energy, Invest in Our Future, CHARGE, and BuildUS.

Their commitment to innovative community infrastructure demonstrates how strategic investments can strengthen healthcare access while creating more resilient communities. Together, we are building a model for how clean energy and healthcare can work hand in hand to benefit rural and underserved areas.

Join Chiricahua for the Solar Switch-On Celebration in Douglas

To mark this exciting milestone, Chiricahua invites community members, partners, and local leaders to join us for a special ribbon-cutting and solar “switch-on” celebration.

Friday, August 7, 2026
9:00 a.m.
Jennifer “Ginger” Ryan Clinic
1111 F Avenue, Douglas, AZ 85607

The event will recognize the partners and funders who made the project possible while showcasing how investments in resilient infrastructure help strengthen healthcare access for our community.

Powering Healthcare for All

As we celebrate National Health Center Week, we are also celebrating what is possible when healthcare, innovation, and community partnership come together.

By embracing solar energy and battery storage, Chiricahua is better prepared than ever to keep the lights on, the doors open, and quality care available for our community, no matter what challenges come our way.

Because at the end of the day, reliable healthcare starts with reliable power.