Publicly owned power could still happen in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor for Public Power, a nonprofit pushing for a city owned and operated electric power and supply company and cutting ties with DTE Energy, is now formally attempting to get their issue on the ballot in the Midterm elections. This campaign has been ongoing since 2020.
“The first question for voters is: do you want this?” A2P2 Director Brian Geiringer said in the press release announcing this new phase of their effort. “The plan is to create the board of the public utility in the 2026 election, before taking over poles and wires from DTE. Creating the board will cost the people of Ann Arbor zero dollars, and it will put the process of dumping DTE in motion.”
The regional power utility has made concrete steps to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050. But that is 20 years too late for the likes of A2P2 and their supporters. Ann Arborites have previously voted in local ballot measures to be carbon neutral by 2030 by a wide margin.
A2P2 was formed in 2020 to achieve municipalization. That is a process in which the city takes ownership and operational control of the distribution, storage and generation of power within the city, instead of the regional for-profit utility. This is legal, but it requires a years-long process of litigation and negotiation. And even if it does work, the city would still then have to buy power from the utility, or the neighboring Consumers Energy, to keep the lights on while it builds out its own, presumably green power infrastructure.
“Studies show that municipalization will saddle Ann Arbor with at least $2 billion of new debt and raise rates for residents and businesses,” DTE Energy Spokesman Ryan Lowry said via email. “DTE Energy is already committed to delivering a reliable, affordable and clean energy future for Ann Arbor. We are investing $250 million in infrastructure improvements in the city over the next five years, dramatically improving reliability. We’re also dedicated to providing 100 percent of Ann Arbor’s electricity from clean energy, while continuing our focus on customer affordability, keeping energy bills below the national average.”
This is a process with a great deal of support. A study was supposed to be done to formally assess how much this would actually cost. But it was defeated by a majority of city councilors who were worried about the cost given the national political environment, choosing instead to focus on defending the ecological progress and social programs that Ann Arbor already has.
Current Magazine has reached out to Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor for comment. He had supported the failed attempt to launch a formal study of how much the municipalization would cost, but had been outvoted in the chamber. He did not immediately answer.
RELATED: Municipalization Study Ends in Tied Vote at Ann Arbor Council Meeting
They need to get at least 5,000 signatures for this to be on the ballot. Once submitted, the County Clerk will need to verify the eligibility and authenticity of each signature. What the wording of the ballot question will be is yet to be settled on.
Geiringer said they are planning on pulling out all of the stops to get to 5,000 signatures. This will include door knocking and putting out tables at public events.
“A dedicated group of Ann Arborites has been working hard to expand A2P2’s capacity in the last few months. We feel it’s incredibly important that members of the public have a real voice in this process; that’s the only way to win,” Geiringer said in the press release. “We are ready for this moment and call on everyone who is interested to join the fight.”
This is a breaking news story and may be updated.
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
