Re-Elect Mayor John Hieftje
Energy & Environment
“John Hieftje has the strongest environmental record of any Mayor in the Midwest. He’s championed the city’s Greenbelt, the clean energy initiative, commuter rail, bicycling and our terrific parks system. These programs set Ann Arbor apart. John’s leadership has set the standard for progressive mayors everywhere.”
— Mike Garfield, Environmental Activist
“In a time of historic challenges on the energy front Ann Arbor is fortunate to have a leader with the vision, knowledge and courage to position the city to succeed in this new environment.”
— Lana Pollack, President, Michigan Environmental Council, former State Senator
Ann Arbor is a national leader in energy conservation and in moving towards use of renewable energy.
In 2005 Mayor Hieftje launched an initiative to propel Ann Arbor into a “green energy” future. In 2006 the City Council approved the Mayor’s Green Energy Challenge program, committing City Government to 30% renewable energy consumption and to 20% greenhouse gas reduction by 2010. This effort yields long-term benefits to the environment, saves taxpayer money and sets an example for cities everywhere.
In recognition of his efforts to protect the environment Mayor Hieftje was awarded the 2008 Environmental Leadership Award by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
Ann Arbor is now recognized as the leading city in the nation in LED (light-emitting diode) streetlight technology;
200 new LED streetlights are being installed downtown every month. This project pays for itself in just four years because the new lights use 50-70% less energy than the old ones and they last more than five times as long. This program will be saving taxpayer money for decades to come. More exciting features will be illuminated in the next few years, involving ever more sensitive dimmers on the lights, motion detectors and more.
Ann Arbor’s recycling program is one of the best in the nation. Efficient recycling saves money and protects the environment; the city is expanding recycling in order to capture more of the commercial waste stream and further reduce “tipping” fees at landfills.
Protecting the Huron River Watershed has always been a priority for Mayor Hieftje and he is a long-time Board Member of the Huron River Watershed Council. Ann Arbor is ahead of other Michigan cities in watershed protection. The City is leading in storm water control efforts, water conservation and importantly, in preserving open space with the Greenbelt Program in order to prevent the run-off that occurs when sprawl development overtakes farmland and open space.
Based on efforts to conserve energy and to promote renewable energy, in 2007 Ann Arbor was awarded a Solar America City designation; this comes with federal funding and technical resources.
