Ann Arbor to power vital city infrastructure with its biggest solar installation to date

The City of Ann Arbor has constructed its biggest solar installation to date at Steere Farm Wells, providing power to vital city infrastructure. Steere Farm, on Ann Arbor’s south side, is one of the city’s top-10 electricity users, working to pump water uphill to the Water Treatment Facility, a critical part of city infrastructure that keeps water moving and clean. This 480 kW AC system is part of the city’s work to power all municipal operations with clean, renewable energy.  

This installation comes after months of intentional collaboration between Ann Arbor Water, City of Ann Arbor Information Technology and the City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI), which led and funded the project in accordance with the city’s A2ZERO carbon neutrality goals.

“There were a lot of moving pieces,” said Simi Barr, OSI senior analyst for municipal operations. “It took collaboration between many city staff and departments, along with external consultants and contractors in order to ensure we designed a system that would serve the intended purpose without jeopardizing the city’s critical water infrastructure.”

This installation is the latest in the City of Ann Arbor’s work to decarbonize both its own operations and the city at large. In 2025, solar arrays went online at two more city facilities, solar carports were installed at Veterans Memorial Park, an electric pursuit vehicle was added to the Ann Arbor Police department fleet, four all-electric refuse trucks began collection, and several other actions were taken to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. More is slated to happen in 2026, including the creation of at least three more solar arrays, further electrification of the city’s fleet, and the opening of Ann Arbor’s first net-zero fire station.

This work is a part of A2ZERO, the City of Ann Arbor’s plan, vision, framework and associated actions for a just and equitable transition to carbon neutrality, community-wide, by 2030. Learn more about the individuals who are turning this plan into reality at a2gov.org/sustainability. 

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Media Contact: 

Simi Barr, Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations, Municipal Operations Senior Energy Analyst, sbarr@a2gov.org