City of Ann Arbor - Green Power Purchasing
Ann Arbor is working toward 100% renewable electricity for the community through a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program, which allows the city to procure power on behalf of residents from alternative suppliers while keeping your existing utility for transmission and distribution. This gives the city more control to integrate renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power into the grid based on community values. You can learn more about the city's carbon neutrality goals through the A2ZERO Climate Action Plan.
The City of Ann Arbor's green power purchasing initiative creates demand for renewable energy infrastructure, particularly solar photovoltaics, small hydroelectric facilities, and landfill gas generation to support the city's goal of community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. The program operates through Community Choice Aggregation, which allows the city to procure renewable power on behalf of its residents and businesses, potentially creating opportunities for contractors involved in renewable energy project development and deployment. Contractors should monitor the A2ZERO Climate Action Plan and the Office of Sustainability and Innovations for procurement opportunities and partnerships.
Ann Arbor's program uses Community Choice Aggregation to enable municipal and community-wide renewable energy procurement, currently generating approximately 8.9 million kWh annually from on-site renewable sources (primarily biogas, solar, and small hydroelectric) representing roughly 20% of municipal facility consumption. The city established goals of 30% renewables for municipal operations by 2015 (compared to 2000 levels) and 5% community-wide renewables, with a longer-term target of community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. The program targets all municipal accounts, residents, and businesses in Ann Arbor, with the Office of Sustainability and Innovations managing implementation through long-term, fixed-rate contracts prioritizing in-state wind generation and other renewable sources.
Program details
- Program ID
- 2342
- Last updated
- 12/11/2024
Eligibility
- Sectors
- local government
- Technologies
- solar photovoltaics landfill gas hydroelectric (small)
Program summary
Ann Arbor's Living Carbon Neutrality Plan
The city plans to power their electrical grid with 100% renewable energy largely by implementing community choice aggregation. See the Climate Action Plan to learn more.
The Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program is an agreement among stakeholders to allow local governments to procure power on behalf of their residents, businesses, and municipal accounts from an alternative supplier while receiving transmission and distribution services from their existing utility providers. CCA allows communities to have more control over the production of their energy, including integrating community values such as 100% renewable energy into their purchasing decisions.
History of Green Power Purchasing in Ann Arbor
In May 2006, the Ann Arbor City Council adopted a resolution that established a goal of 30% renewable energy for all municipal operations by 2010, with an associated 20% reduction in greenhouse gases. The resolution also established a goal of 20% renewable energy for the entire Ann Arbor community by 2015. In July 2009, the EPA announced that the city of Ann Arbor was among the top-20 users of on-site renewable energy in the nation. The city generates and uses roughly 8.9 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually from green energy sources, primarily biogas, solar, and small hydroelectric facilities. This amounts to roughly 20% of the annual electricity consumption in city facilities.
The city came short of its 2010 goal, achieving 19.8% renewables by 2010. In April 2011, the City Council passed a new goal to reach 30% renewables by 2015 (compared to 2000 levels) in municipal operations, and 5% renewables community-wide. The resolution also encourages the city staff to reach this goal using long-term, fixed-rate contracts with in-state wind generation.
Contact & resources
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
