Stories indexed with the term ‘renewable energy’

The Ann Arbor city council has passed a resolution in support of a statewide Michigan ballot proposal that would require electric utilities to provide at least 25% of their annual retail sales of electricity from renewable energy sources by the year 2025. The action was taken at council’s Oct. 1, 2012 meeting.

Renewable energy sources are defined as wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower. Although it would change the state’s constitution, the proposal includes provisions that could extend the 2025 deadline into the indefinite future. An annual extension could be granted if it would prevent rate increases of more than 1% per year. The proposal would limit rate increases required to achieve the 25% standard to no more than 1% per year.

This brief was filed … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council passed a resolution setting a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Ann Arbor’s municipal operations by 50%. The baseline standard for the percentage reduction would be emission levels in 2000, which measured 46,435 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CDE). The city’s goal is to achieve the 50% reduction target by 2015. The city’s most recent figures, from 2010, put CDE emissions for municipal operations at 34,445 tons, which is roughly a 26% reduction from 2000 levels.

As part of the same resolution, the council also set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8% throughout the community for the same time period. In 2000 the city estimates the entire city produced 2,087,463 tons of CDE, which has improved little in the most recent year for which figures are available, 2009: 2,054,221 tons.

The resolution also updated goals on renewable energy use. The city had previously had a goal of 20% renewable energy for municipal operations by 2010, which was subsequently increased to 30%. The 20% target was met – when the figure was rounded upward only slightly. The resolution approved on April 19, 2011 reset the goal of 30% renewable energy in municipal operations and 5% community-wide by 2015.

The resolution also directs city staff to consider options to purchase long-term, fixed-rate renewable electricity from Michigan wind turbines.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]