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Reducing your carbon footprint is easier than you might think – and Pittsfield Township is putting that initiative to the test. The town just outside of Ann Arbor has implemented a number of green initiatives over the last ten years, outlined a sustainability blueprint for the next five years and is now embracing renewable energy through two major initiatives.

Earlier in April, Pittsfield Township Supervisor’s Office rolled out a “MIGreenPower Challenge” designed to position Pittsfield Township as the first community in Southeast Michigan to acquire most of its energy from renewable resources.

MIGreenPower is DTE Energy’s voluntary renewable energy program that empowers customers to participate in DTE’s large-scale wind and solar projects. Interested customers choose how much of their home’s or business’ electricity use they want to attribute to renewable energy, which in turn fuels renewable energy development in Michigan. The program is a flexible and affordable way to reduce your carbon footprint; some households can enroll for as little as $1 a month.

Since the program’s inception in 2017, more than 12,000 residential customers enrolled in MIGreenPower have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 45,000 metric tons, the greenhouse gas equivalent of taking approximately 10,000 cars off the road for one year. The program has also seen success among Michigan’s most well-known companies; General Motors recently increased their participation in MIGreenPower to source more than 800,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of Michigan-made clean energy. By 2023, all of GM’s DTE-supplied electrical load will be offset through solar and wind energy.

Pittsfield Township is also partnering with DTE and the City of Ann Arbor to explore the development of a nearly 24 megawatt (MW) solar park at Ellsworth and Stone School roads in Pittsfield, and the area abutting Ann Arbor’s Wheeler Service Center. This solar park would allow Pittsfield Township to rely on solar to meet all its municipal energy needs.

Additionally, Pittsfield Township is the first community in Washtenaw County to avail itself of DTE’s Charging Forward incentive.  The township will receive a total rebate of $10,000 for installing two dual-port Level 2 chargers, for a total of four ports at its Administration campus.

“Partnering with our residents and businesses is how we like to undertake our work in Pittsfield Township. So, it is only natural for us to reach out to them as we all, together, work to improve our community’s water, air, and soil quality,” said Mandy Grewal, Pittsfield Township Supervisor. “Encouraging our residents and businesses to enroll in the MIGreenPower program is in line with our community’s sustainability blueprint as we transition from fossil fuel to renewable sources of energy.”

MIGreenPower is open to all DTE electric customers interested in reducing their carbon footprint. To learn more or enroll, visit migreenpower.com or call 855.613.4445.