Solar Power

A group in Ypsilanti is looking to bring solar energy to low-income neighborhoods. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

Ann Arbor will be building its first new fire station since 1981. Fire Station 4 near Washtenaw Avenue will be torn down and replaced with a carbon-neutral facility. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more details.

With the voters of Ann Arbor approving establishing a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), 2025 will see the beginning of its creation, but there is still a lot to get done. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

A new solar project being built in Washtenaw County is expected to generate enough electricity to power 15,000 to 20,000 homes every year. The White Tail Solar project will be built on farmland in York and Augusta Townships. Not only is the project going to help with Washtenaw County’s carbon neutrality goals, it is expected to generate well over $1 million in local tax revenue. WEMU's David Fair discussed the project and its impacts with Dick Cupka, chair of the York Township Planning Commission.

On Tuesday, November 5th, voting concludes, and decisions will be made about our elected leadership. Locally, there are a number of ballot issues to be decided as well. In Ann Arbor, one of the ballot questions is whether to create a publicly-owned Sustainable Energy Utility. It would be an opt-in, renewable energy source to further move the city towards it's carbon neutrality goals. Ann Arbor director of Sustainability and Innovations, Missy Stults, joined WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, for a review of the proposal and its implications for the future.

The Southtown housing complex in Ann Arbor wants to go off the grid and produced all its power on-site. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

It can be expensive to install rooftop solar panels, but they do pay for themselves over time. Not only does it save on energy costs, but a new University of Michigan study says the value of rooftop solar panels will continue to increase. It will also be vital as the climate continues to warm, and we will need more energy to keep cool. WEMU's David Fair was joined by U-M Energy Systems Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Craig to learn more about the research.

The idea of solar farms is somewhat controversial as people argue over state control, local community determination and individual property rights. Those arguments are playing out right here in Washtenaw County. WEMU's David Fair talked through the issues with Madeleine Krol from the Graham Sustainability Institute's Center for Empowering Communities at the University of Michigan.

Informational meetings on rural solar farms will be held into March, with the first tomorrow at 7 PM at the Manchester Township Hall. WEMU’s Taylor Bowie has more on what the series aims to clarify for residents.

Further investing in environmental sustainability will be a part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year. The governor is to formally introduce her budget proposal today at 11 AM. WEMU's David Fair invited State Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) to discuss some of what lay ahead in 2024 when it comes to environmental legislation and policy.