Traverse City utility adopts long-term policy to reach 100% renewables

Traverse City Light & Power took a major step Jan. 13 by adopting a policy framework designed to cement clean energy priorities into the operations of the municipally owned utility. Officials framed the action as more than planning: it ties technical resource decisions to updated mission and vision goals and sets measurable interim targets that will affect rates, local electrification incentives, and utility operations.

Brandie Ekren, executive director of TCLP, called the move "monumental" and a "milestone" for a utility that has been an early adopter of renewables. Ekren described the framework this way: "This is more than just a five-year strategic plan. It puts our clean energy goals into the bones of the utility." The policy formalizes TCLP’s 2018 commitment to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2040 or sooner and sets a new interim benchmark of 65 percent renewable energy by 2035.

TCLP currently sources roughly 40 percent of its power from renewable resources, primarily solar and wind, supplemented by landfill gas and limited energy storage. Since Ekren’s arrival in 2022, the utility completed an integrated resource plan that outlines how additional renewable generation, storage and demand response will meet future needs. The new policy links that technical planning to concrete programs: continuing customer financial incentives to electrify homes and businesses, expanding storage and demand-response measures, and staging electrification of the utility’s fleet and operations.

Officials say renewables are already among the utility’s most affordable sources and that TCLP maintains some of the lowest electric rates in Michigan while pursuing its renewable goals. The framework includes a schedule to review and update the policy every five years so the utility can evaluate emerging technologies and adjust course if new options prove cost-effective.

For Grand Traverse County residents, the policy will influence local energy costs, choices about home and business electrification, and expectations for grid reliability. Continued incentives for heat pumps, electric vehicle charging and other electrification measures could lower long-term energy costs for ratepayers, while staged fleet electrification signals operational changes that may affect municipal services over time. As a municipally owned utility, TCLP’s decisions also remain directly accountable to local leaders and residents who can follow rate and policy reviews.

The takeaway? Watch TCLP’s five-year reviews, ask about timing for available incentives, and consider whether electrifying appliances or vehicles makes sense for your household as the utility shifts its portfolio. These are the practical levers residents can use to both save on energy and help shape how the Cherry Capital reaches its renewable goals.