On October 1, the Michigan Municipal Electric Association (MMEA) held their semi-annual membership meeting, which saw the Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility’s (A2SEU) application for membership approved.
Katie Abraham, MMEA’s Executive Director, expressed excitement at the expansion of municipal electric utilities in the state of Michigan.
“Public power has proven time and time again that it is the most reliable and affordable in our state,” said Abraham. “Not only that, but because each utility is locally run by the community they serve, the utility can customize its services for that specific area. Having the Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility join our Association is wonderful, because wherever they are, municipal electric utilities keep the lights on and dollars in customer’s pockets.”
In 2025, MMEA released its first Michigan Public Power Impact Report, which showcased the value of the public power model. Customers of Michigan’s municipal electric utilities saved over $402,555,655 through their reliability and low rates.
“When people discover how reliable our utilities truly are, they are astonished. Michigan’s municipal electric utilities are repeatedly the most reliable in the state, and that means you’re not losing a fridge full of food or a day of work, because your power stays on,” said Abraham.
Voters authorized the creation of Ann Arbor’s SEU in November 2024. The city had engaged experts from a wide variety of disciplines and explored alternatives as they reviewed options for providing alternatives to the investor-owned utility that was, at the time, the only provider of electricity in the community.
The opportunity that emerged as the most promising and likely most effective in helping reach the city’s goals was the concept of a completely new form of municipal utility: the Sustainable Energy Utility. The defining features are that it is supplemental to the existing grid, it’s optional and it is 100% renewable.
Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility Executive Director Shoshannah Lenski stated, “In Ann Arbor, we’re innovating the future of energy, building a municipal utility that meets the unique needs and priorities of our community. The Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility is 100% renewable, reliable and affordable - and accessible to everyone, including those who have historically been left out of the energy transition. We’re proud to be Michigan’s first new municipal electric utility in almost a century, and we’re honored to be welcomed as a member of the MMEA.”
“MMEA has 40 municipal electric utility members in the state, and it’s a great achievement for the community of Ann Arbor to now say it is the 41st Member,” said Abraham. “Most of our current membership has been in existence for over 100 years. Knowing the difference that municipal electric utilities can provide, it’s not surprising that the community of Ann Arbor is eager to bring those valuable benefits to its community.”
MMEA is Michigan’s trade group for municipally owned electric utilities, also known as public power utilities. The communities in Michigan that own and operate a municipal utility provide approximately 10% of the state’s total electricity requirements. Cities or villages with municipal electric systems provide electric service to their residents, just as communities commonly provide water and sewer service.
Many of these utilities are more than 100 years old. As units of local government, municipal electric systems are non-profit, community owned and operated, and regulated directly by the city and customers they serve.
Ann Arbor voters authorized the creation of the city’s Sustainable Energy Utility in November 2024. The Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility (known as the A2SEU) is an innovative new form of municipal energy utility.
"It’s optional (sign up only if you want), supplemental (you’ll stay connected to the current grid), community-owned and provides 100% local, renewable and clean energy solutions," SEU noted.
