Kansas Town Rebuilding as the Greenest in America

In order to develop a recovery plan for the area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) held over 50 stakeholder meetings and organized several town meetings. After 12 weeks of “community conversations,” it became apparent that sustainability had surfaced as the area’s number-one priority. In turn, it shaped FEMA’s Long-Term Community Recovery Plan for Greensburg and Kiowa County. Steve Castaner, deputy federal coordinating officer of FEMA, explained, “The reason that green is in [Greensburg’s] plan is because the community said, ‘it’s important to us.’”

Because Greensburg residents made sure that FEMA emphasized energy issues in the plan, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has established a field office in the town. One program it offers residents is a series of Building America seminars on affordable, energy-efficient construction techniques, taught by the staff of Building