History and Resources | City of Ann Arbor

Express interest to receive updates - commitment free

A2SEU in the news

City news releases

May 19, 2026 - Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility marks milestone with first installations in Bryant Neighborhood
March 17, 2026 - Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility selects first vendors as customer launch nears
Feb. 24, 2026 - Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility invites residents to express interest in local, renewable energy
Nov. 4, 2025 - Ann Arbor City Council votes unanimously to accept $11 million for district geothermal System
Sept. 29, 2025 - Ann Arbor awarded $250,000 grant to advance Sustainable Energy Utility
July 16, 2025 - Ann Arbor introduces first executive director of Sustainable Energy Utility
Nov. 7, 2024 - Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) authorized in the City of Ann Arbor

News coverage

Free solar panels and home batteries? Ann Arbor's trying it out (Marketplace, Aug. 13, 2026)
Podcast and transcript: One City's Unique Approach to the Energy Transition (Resources for the Future Resources Radio, July 14, 2026 - runtime ~30 minutes)
Ann Arbor sets $600 flat yearly rate for new electricity alternative to DTE Energy (Mlive, May 20, 2026)
Ann Arbor is rolling out city-owned solar and batteries at homes. It can help lower electric bills (Fast Company, April 30, 2026)
Ann Arbor's first-of-its-kind sustainable energy pilot program approaches implementation (WEMU, April 29, 2026)
City of Ann Arbor budget's main priority is SEU implementation (WEMU, April 21, 2026)
Ann Arbor to generate its own renewable power through new Sustainable Energy Utility (Concentrate, April 8, 2026)
Ann Arbor making big purchases to launch new sustainable energy utility (Mlive, March 18, 2026)
How Ann Arbor, Michigan, is creating its own clean energy utility (Grist, March 17, 2026)
Affordable clean energy in Ann Arbor: Can a city-created utility deliver? (Planet Detroit, Jan. 28, 2026)
New Ann Arbor energy utility may offer customers flat-rate billing for solar (Mlive, Dec. 12, 2025)
Ann Arbor is reinventing the power company (Fast Company, Sept. 2, 2025)
Ann Arbor wants to build its own renewable-energy grid (The New York Times - subscription only)
Ann Arbor’s sustainable energy utility aims to build the electric power grid of the future − alongside the old one (The Conversation, March 10, 2025)
A Michigan city’s ‘sustainable energy utility’ got the green light from voters. What now? (SmartCitiesDIve, Dec. 10,2024)
Voters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, create a local clean energy utility (Canary Media, Nov. 20, 2024)

A2SEU newsletters

A2SEU Newsletter July 27, 2026 (PDF)

Have a question about the SEU? We’re preparing a new set of FAQ - and their answers - to publish next month, so if you’ve got a burning question, please email it to seu@a2gov.org!

We continue progress enrolling residents and installing solar+ battery systems in the Bryant Neighborhood Pilot. At this time, we have 52 households officially signed up (including 18 rental properties - a segment we’re excited to serve) and 18 systems physically installed. We continue to work toward our goal of 100 customers by the end of the calendar year!
On July 23rd, we hosted a walking tour attended by nearly 50 folks from both the Bryant neighborhood and across the city (including many subscribers to this newsletter - thanks for showing up!). Bryant residents graciously invited us into their yards to discuss their solar installations and other home energy upgrades.

On July 2nd, the SEU purchased nearly 3 megawatts (9 truckloads full!) of solar panels that will be used for city-wide installations. This purchase was timed to meet a critical deadline to extend our eligibility for the federal solar tax credit into 2028, which will help us offer more affordable rates to participants. This is a lot solar panels: take a peek here!

The national energy and environmental economics nonprofit Resources for the Future interviewed our Executive Director Shoshannah Lenski. Have a listen to the podcast on Resources Radio, or read the full transcript of the discussion: “One City’s Unique Approach to the Energy Transition.”

The City’s own Green Light video series, hosted by OSI’s Grace Franke and produced by CTN, also spoke with the SEU. Watch this short video to learn more about progress on the SEU, including how we’re preparing to operate as a Virtual Power Plant, or VPP.

A2SEU media

General/For residents