Let Communities Choose

The report analyzes how Highland Park, Michigan, can transition to 100 percent locally generated clean energy to achieve energy sovereignty. It identifies a total average annual electricity demand of approximately 86,200 MWh and proposes a mix of rooftop solar, community solar, energy efficiency, distributed solar, and a community water and energy resource center (CWERC) to meet this need. The analysis highlights that current utility restrictions and state policies create long payback periods for solar investments, but a proposed policy scenario—including full retail-rate net metering and state tax credits—could increase rooftop solar's contribution from 13 percent to nearly 30 percent of the city's energy needs. The document concludes with recommendations for Michigan policymakers to eliminate distributed generation caps and for Highland Park leaders to enact solar ordinances and establish local financing mechanisms.

• Highland Park faces severe energy poverty and environmental injustice, with 46.5 percent of the population living at or below the poverty level and the city ranking in the 92nd percentile for environmental injustice in Michigan.
• Under current Michigan policies and DTE utility programs, rooftop solar would meet approximately 13 percent of Highland Park's estimated 86,200 MWh annual electricity demand, with long payback periods for homeowners (e.g., 15 years for a single-family home).
• A proposed policy scenario—incorporating the elimination of size restrictions, restoration of full retail-rate net metering, a distributed solar carve-out in the RPS, and a $1,000 state tax credit—could increase rooftop solar's contribution to nearly 30 percent of the city's energy needs and reduce the payback period for single-family homes to 3 years.
• A comprehensive 100 percent clean energy vision for Highland Park would combine rooftop solar (30%), community solar (33%), energy efficiency (25%), distributed solar (6%), and a Community Water and Energy Resource Center (6%).
• Repurposing four specific vacant land parcels totaling 100 acres could host 20 MW of community-owned solar, providing about one-third of the city's energy target.
• The report recommends that Michigan policymakers eliminate utility caps on distributed generation, require virtual net metering for community solar, and expand the Michigan Saves green bank to better serve lower-income communities.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2021). Let Communities Choose. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-10-12-21.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Let Communities Choose. 2021. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-10-12-21.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Let Communities Choose |date=October 2021 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-10-12-21.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2021let, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Let Communities Choose}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/Let-Communities-Choose-10-12-21.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }