U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Office of EERE

Greensburg, Kansas, Deployment Project

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have helped Greensburg, Kansas, rebuild as a model green community.

On May 4, 2007, a tornado destroyed or damaged 95% of the town's homes and businesses. Greensburg turned disaster into opportunity and created a plan to rebuild as a sustainable community with the help of a diverse group of experts, including DOE and NREL.

To help make Greensburg's vision of rebuilding green a reality, DOE and NREL focused on the specific areas listed below. You can also read more in the fact sheet: A Tale of Two Cities: Greensburg Rebuilds as a National Model for Green Communities.

Watch the DOE YouTube video to learn more about how Greensburg's leaders and citizens decided to rebuild green.

Technical Assistance 

DOE/NREL provided technical assistance to Greensburg, Kansas, for 3 years. This included helping the town develop a master plan for rebuilding green that focused on high-performance buildings, community wind energy, distributed renewable energy, and alternative transportation.

High-Performance Buildings 

With assistance from DOE/NREL, Greensburg has rebuilt or renovated more than 15 high-performance commercial buildings as well as numerous residential buildings, reaching the highest per-capita concentration of LEED buildings in the United States.

Wind Farm 

Based on recommendations from DOE/NREL, the 12.5 megawatt Greensburg Wind Farm is helping meet the town's "100% renewable energy, 100% of the time" goal.

Education and Outreach 

DOE/NREL's extensive education and outreach efforts in Greensburg resulted in numerous publications, webinars, and lessons learned.