The results are in and Ann Arbor is getting its Sustainable Energy Utility.
What this means is that Ann Arbor residents will be able to take advantage of a new program to install new renewable energy infrastructure right on their homes. This could take the form of rooftop solar, or batteries; geothermal or ground-installed solar – essentially whatever is physically possible and what the owner is comfortable with.
“We are incredibly excited to begin building a utility of the future right here in Ann Arbor,” Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor said in a November 6 press release. “The SEU will bring 100 percent renewable, clean, reliable and more affordable energy to residents, and bring Ann Arbor closer to our A2ZERO goals.”
The measure passed with 78.63% of the vote. The 16,564 Ann Arborites who voted against it were outvoted by the 47,299 who did, according to the office of the Washtenaw County Clerk.
This is not the same issue as municipalization. Ann Arbor’s utility company, DTE Energy, will still be Ann Arbor’s primary electricity provider. This supplemental program will allow interested households to volunteer to add green power sources to the city on a purely voluntary basis, and thus pay a different rate from DTE while the new equipment is providing power, but would revert temporarily to DTE’s supply, and consumption rate, if and when their wind, solar, or geothermal systems are temporarily not able to produce enough power.
DTE Energy has committed to carbon neutral power generation by mid-century, but that is a whole generation past the city of Ann Arbor’s goal of running on 100 percent green power by the end of this decade. This has led some Ann Arborites to advocate for a city owned and operated power system.
When asked for a statement, DTE spokesperson Ryan Lowry maintained his statement from Current’s last article on the subject: “DTE is dedicated to supporting the City of Ann Arbor’s clean energy goals. Much like DTE’s MIGreenPower – which is one of the largest voluntary programs in the country – the SEU would provide Ann Arbor’s residents and businesses with another option to reduce their own carbon emissions. When coupled with DTE’s planned investments in clean energy, these voluntary, fee-based programs help accelerate economy-wide decarbonization while maintaining reliability and affordability.”
It could be 18 months to two years before that happens though. This is because the system has to now be made from scratch according to Ann Arbor’s Sustainability and Innovations Director Missy Stults.
“We’ve got to create the bylaws, the governance structures, hire the staff, create the specifications and design parameters, get the capital, find the installers, get the contracts in play, and then we can start the system. That all will take some time to build,” Stults said in an email. “We’ve tried to be pretty public about this timeline as we moved through the SEU process to help manage expectations. Now that the SEU is authorized, we’re moving into the final design stage.”
RELATED: Ann Arbor to Vote on Sustainable Energy Utility
The City of Ann Arbor already has a waiting list for the program and will need up to 20 megawatts of interest from the public before any orders are made or anything actually gets installed. It could be 18 months to two years before that happens, according to the city.
“The SEU is a significant step in the right direction. We also know that it will not be enough to reach the city’s 2030 renewable energy goals, or to address our chronically unreliable power grid,” Ann Arbor for Public Power President Greg Woodring said in a press release. He added that municipalization is still necessary to achieve the A2ZERO goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. “This mandate from city voters energizes our mission to dump DTE entirely. We plan to do everything in our power to ensure the SEU is implemented equitably and effectively, knowing that it does not go nearly as far as the current climate crisis demands.”
Ann Arbor’s leadership was so confident of the measure passing that they set up an interest list for Ann Arborites who want to participate ahead of the vote, which you can still use. Renters can take advantage of the program along with home or business owners, so long as the renter and city both get formal permission from the property owner.
“We want to thank everyone who helped shape the SEU, and everyone who has worked to support our A2ZERO goals,” Ann Arbor city administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. said in the press release. “Our community is able to do this transformative and innovative work because the residents of Ann Arbor empower us to do it, and for that we’re very grateful.”
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!
