Nathan Murphy
Environment Michigan
Ypsilanti, MI – The City of Ypsilanti’s impressive growth in solar energy installations lands it among the nation’s leading cities for installing clean energy from the sun. Ypsilanti has installed over 50 watts per capita placing it in the Solar Stars category of Environment Michigan’s report Shining Cities 2018: How Smart Local Policies Are Expanding Solar Power in America. Much of this has been with the assistance of SolarYpsi, a grassroots project launched in 2005 and led by Dave Strenski, which has helped install/encourage more than three dozen solar power systems in the past 12 years around Ypsilanti.
“I’m grateful to live in a community that fully embraces solar power. It’s more than renewable energy, solar power has a positive return on investment, puts money in the pockets of local residents, creates jobs, and is helping to rebuild Ypsilanti as a Solar Destination,” said Strenski.
“Cities like Ypsilanti are leading the way to a future powered by clean, renewable energy,” said Nathan Murphy with Environment Michigan. “By tapping into more of our vast solar energy potential, we can benefit from cleaner air and fight climate change.” The report shows that the top 20 solar cities, comprising just 0.1 percent of the country’s land mass, account for 4 percent of U.S. solar capacity.
“We are in a moment when progress on renewable energy will come from cities across the country,” said Murphy with Environment Michigan. “Ypsilanti has shown the difference that local leaders can make by stepping up and plugging their communities into the clean and virtually limitless power of the sun.”
“We are excited that Ypsilanti, through the volunteer leadership of Solar Ypsi, continues to grow and shine as a leader in bringing solar to our community, “ said Mayor Edmonds. “The City of Ypsilanti believes deeply that now is the time for us bring our values of sustainability and resilience into reality in ways that are accessible to many in our community. As a Climate Mayor, I am proud that Ypsi is showing what contributions small cities can and must make to pressing world issues. As we find win-wins through development of solar job training opportunities for our residents, financing tools that increases accessibility of solar to nonprofits and public entities, and other creative partnerships, we can show that solar is a win-win-win for our environment, economy, and community,” she continued.
Shining Cities is the fifth annual report from Environment Michigan Research & Policy Center. Each year, the survey ranks nearly 70 of the nation’s major cities by megawatts of solar energy. It is available on the Environment Michigan website at www.environmentmichigan.org.