South Carolina Office of Resilience and Google Expand Collaboration, Work with Habitat for Humanity to Scale Home Energy Efficiency and Resilience

Media Contacts: SCOR: media@scor.sc.gov | Google: Maya Ward; maya@npstrategy.com

Expanded partnership supports weatherization and hazard resilience initiatives for resource-constrained households in storm-prone areas

Joint work continues Google’s support of energy affordability in the state 

COLUMBIA, S.C.  — August 3, 2026 — The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) and Google announced an expanded collaboration with Habitat for Humanity South Carolina to support weatherization and energy-efficient home upgrades for resource-constrained and storm-impacted families in South Carolina.

Google’s contribution specifically supports weatherization improvements to support more resilient, affordable, energy-efficient homes. This includes insulating exterior doors and walls, installing Energy Star appliances, conducting HVAC efficiency testing, and adding double-pane windows. Together, these improvements help lower energy costs for families and strengthen homes against future weather challenges.

This $1 million grant builds on Google’s previous $1 million contribution to SCOR in 2024. The initial investment helped support the reconstruction and weatherization of homes destroyed by Hurricane Helene, reducing energy costs for resource-constrained households and improving overall housing stability. This year’s funding will expand that impact, working with Habitat for Humanity South Carolina through SCOR to reach additional families and further scale local efforts in other parts of the state.

“Partnerships like this one with Google are essential to advancing our mission of building a more resilient South Carolina,” said Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer at SCOR. “With this new funding, and working through our non-profit partners at Habitat for Humanity, we will be able to reach more households and continue integrating resilience and energy efficiency to areas like Berkeley County that are vulnerable to continued storm impacts.”

“The Habitat for Humanity network across South Carolina has been an active partner in housing recovery from Hurricane Helene since day one. While our focus has primarily been on the hardest-hit areas, using FEMA’s IA designations, we recognize that storms don’t simply stall before they cross county lines. Helene’s impact on our state has been tremendous, and we are continually seeking new partners and resources to allow our collective Habitat network to assist more South Carolinians. Google’s support in Berkeley County will be transformative. Habitat is grateful for this opportunity and the doors to recovery it is opening,” said Nancy Lee, executive director of Habitat for Humanity South Carolina.

Google is dedicated to working closely with local and state partners to broaden access to energy-efficient housing. By working alongside SCOR and other community-based organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Google supports local initiatives that not only improve home energy efficiency but also make homes more resilient to future extreme weather events.

“Supporting the communities where we live and operate is a core priority for Google,” said Blan Holman, South Carolina Energy Lead at Google. “This investment reflects our larger commitment to improving energy affordability and building resilience by helping families have safer, more efficient homes. By partnering with Habitat for Humanity through the South Carolina Office of Resilience, we can help ensure that our efforts create lasting benefits for communities across the state.”

###

About SCOR

The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) is committed to enhancing the state's ability to anticipate, absorb, recover, and thrive when presented with environmental changes and natural hazards by planning and coordinating statewide resilience, long-term disaster recovery, and hazard mitigation. In addition to serving 3,464 homes in our Disaster Recovery Program, SCOR has 86 active flood mitigation projects, including voluntary buyouts, stormwater infrastructure, and plans and studies, across the State. SCOR continues to implement and maintain the Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan, which provides a framework to guide investment in projects, programs, and policies to protect the people and property of South Carolina from the damage and destruction of extreme weather events.

About Google in South Carolina

Google has called South Carolina home since 2007 when the Berkeley County Data Center was built. In 2024, Google announced the expansion of that data center and the construction of additional data centers in Dorchester County. Google data centers help power popular digital services — like Google Cloud, Workspace (which includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets and more), Search and Maps — for people and organizations worldwide. As a pioneer in computing infrastructure, Google’s data centers are some of the most efficient in the world. Google has invested more than $7.3 billion in South Carolina and supports more than 1,000 operational jobs.

About Habitat for Humanity in South Carolina

Through home construction, repairs, housing finance, and support services, Habitat for Humanity South Carolina and its network of 23 affiliates invest in communities statewide by helping households access and sustain responsible, affordable homeownership. Last year, the Habitat South Carolina network built, repaired, and rehabilitated 271 homes. Since 1978, Habitat has built or repaired a total of 5,741 throughout the state’s 43 counties. As Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County celebrates the completion of their 50th new home this year and having repaired 50 houses for local families, they are also preparing to break ground on a nine-home community in Goose Creek and to move into the new Berkeley Habitat Mission Center. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Habitat for Humanity South Carolina launched the Habitat Helene Home Repairs Program to help low- to moderate-income homeowners recover from the storm across the 28 FEMA declared counties. Homeowner eligibility is coordinated through the SCOR’s Disaster Case Management Program, while affiliates complete essential repairs. Twelve affiliates have repaired 103 homes, assisting 153 homeowners with $1.9 million in housing assistance. To learn more about the transformative work in Berkeley County and across communities statewide, visit: southcarolinahabitat.org.