DTE Energy Co.

Most residential homes and commercial buildings rely heavily on gas power. It leaves a significant carbon footprint at a time when the community is rushing to become carbon neutral. The movement is gaining steam, and, this week, residents can learn more at an electrification expo. WEMU's David Fair got into the details of it all with Julie Roth from the City of Ann Arbor's Office of Sustainability and Innovations.

More than 230 environmental organizations and public interest groups have signed on to a petition asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the utility industry for harming the public by putting up barriers to rooftop solar and renewable energy expansion. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, took a deeper dive into the effort to reign in the power of America’s utility industry with Matt Kasper. Matt is deputy director at the Energy and Policy Institute.

“Tree Town” is moving to take next steps to better protect the source of its nickname. Ann Arbor is working on an update to its Urban and Community Forest Management Plan to address climate change challenges and other issues. Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Planning Coordinator Tiffany Giacobazzi joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss what’s on the table and how the public can help make present and future determinations on Ann Arbor’s urban forest.

The threat of nuclear war is greater now than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. We also live in the shadow of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant in Monroe County. Should something go wrong there, it would take a huge toll on our environment, ecology, and, of course, our people. WEMU's David Fair checked in with Washtenaw County emergency planning coordinator, Benjamin Pinette, to find out just how prepared we are in case of a nuclear emergency.

Advocates for municipal or community power utilities in Ann Arbor believe that moving away from a centralized, privately held utility provider to one that is owned and operated by the local government or another state body will provide a better service to the public. It is part of a larger energy conversation being held around the state and country. WEMU’s David Fair checked in with 53rd District State House Representative Yousef Rabhi (D-Ann Arbor) to see what movement is being made locally and in state government.

Low income households in Washtenaw County and Southeast Michigan face an greater energy burden. That means paying for gas and electricity eats up a significant amount of the monthly budget. A coalition of groups, including the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center, has been working with the Michigan Public Service Commission and the utilities in the state to create programs of greater assistance. David Fair brings you the latest in his conversation with the Ecology Center's Alexis Blizman.

There were a number of heavy thunderstorms in late July and early-to-mid August. Almost a million Michiganders lost electricity in the worst of the…

Washtenaw Community College has announced it plans to run 100% on renewable energies by the year 2029. In part, it plans to get there by signing on to DTE…

The cost of producing and distributing renewable energy continues to decline. That is changing the energy marketplace. Still, there are a lot of hurdles…

Ann Arbor Spark is now using 100% renewable energy to power its office buildings. Ann Arbor Spark signed up to participate in DTE’s MIGreenPower program…