An experiment is under way in Ann Arbor, Mich., that could change how communities generate and distribute power in the future.

The city, with voters’ strong support, is launching its own sustainable-energy utility. This new utility won’t replace DTE Energy, the local investor-owned power company, or even use DTE’s wires.

Instead, Ann Arbor will slowly build out a whole new modern power system, starting with installing rooftop solar and battery storage and reducing energy usage in individual homes and businesses whose owners opt in. The city then plans to expand by connecting homes and neighborhoods into microgrids and by using community solar and networked geothermal to allow broader access to clean energy.

If it works as planned, a sustainable-energy utility like this could quickly build the clean energy grid of the future by shedding outdated infrastructure while creating a reliable, clean and resilient model.

I am an environmental policy analyst