By Genevieve Fox for Great Lakes Echo.
Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Michigan News Connection with support from the Solutions Journalism Network

An Ann Arbor developer wants to build one of the first 100% solar-powered, carbon-neutral and fossil fuel-free communities.

The idea is to pioneer the creation of neighborhoods that limit their contribution to climate change.

This project, called Veridian at County Farm, is proposed by THRIVE Collaborative – a real estate development, design, building, and consulting firm and Avalon Housing, a developer. Both are based in Ann Arbor.

“This is the way that neighborhoods have to be built,” said Matthew Grocoff, the co-founder of THRIVE. His motivation is to build sustainability and fight climate change where he lives, hoping other communities will do the same.

Sustainable neighborhoods like Geos Neighborhood in Arvada, Colorado are growing in the U.S. But Veridian says it’s unusual because it’s creating one of the nation’s first mixed-income sustainable communities.

Construction began early this year. People can move in by late next year. The home prices are expected to be roughly $800,000 for a family home. That compares to a similar but more traditionally built home that’s $1 million in Ann Arbor.

“We’re building a better quality home and still able to sell them at attainable price points,” Grocoff said.

The more than 80 proposed homes include 50 affordable housing rental townhomes. These properties will cost roughly $650 to $950 a month to rent, said Marcia Luke-van Dijk, director of communications and fund development at Avalon Housing.

Each home will have all-electric appliances powered by solar panels. They will be built with sustainably harvested wood, Grocoff said. The appliances and building materials will be free of toxic chemicals.

“No one should live in a home where their appliances are killing them – where carbon monoxide or other poisons are being emitted,” said Missy Stults, the sustainability and innovations director for Ann Arbor.

The neighborhood will also have its own microgrid to supply it with solar energy, Grocoff said.

If the goal is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees in 2050, we have to start now to prevent temperature rise, Grocoff said

“If you believe that it’s too hard or it’s not possible, or that projects that have done this are outliers, then it’s easy to just go with what’s easy,” he said.

“We have very big plans to build more neighborhoods into the future and work with other builders and developers so that all homes in neighborhoods are built like Veridian,” Grocoff said.

THRIVE bought the site of a former youth prison for the project from Washtenaw County. The property is next to County Farm Park on Platt Road.

Grocoff said his team convinced Ann Arbor officials that to make big steps towards a sustainable future, they needed the space.

The project is exciting, Stults said.

“This just makes sense,” Stults said. “Why in the world are we locking in old fossil fuel-based infrastructure when we could be investing in a clean and sustainable future.”

Solar energy doesn’t always make sense for every neighborhood, Stults said. If you have a neighborhood filled with big trees, you don’t want to knock them down as they provide a service to that community.

And it can be expensive, Stults said. Typically it takes 10 years before residents start to save money, Stults said.

The average cost of installing solar in Michigan is $12,000 to $20,000, according to Energy Sage, a solar energy company based in Boston, Massachusetts serving over 30 states.

But homeowners could save over $100,000 in energy costs over the span of a mortgage, or 30 years, Grocoff said.

Veridian is one of 17 projects from 11 countries around the world meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“We are on the verge of being able to eliminate concrete for our roads, which would eliminate somewhere between 650,000 to 1 million pounds of CO2,” Grocoff said.

CO2, or carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Limiting sources of carbon can be used as a marketing tool to attract buyers interested in sustainability, Grocoff said.

The development is part of the Living Community Challenge with the International Living Institute, a non-profit organization focused on supporting green projects. Grocoff hopes by being a part of this program, his project will receive a Zero Energy Certification.

But before labeling a project as zero energy certified, developers have to verify they’re following the guidelines for certification. These guidelines include that all of the building’s energy must be supplied by on-site renewables and no combustion.Once they’re improved, they can display the certification on their website or paperwork. .

Some companies once they receive the certification, they’ll stop making continuous efforts towards sustainability, Grocoff said. He adds THRIVE will always strive towards a green and healthy future.

“We will not add gas appliances now, and not ever”

The development will have a grocery store called Honey Locust Farm Stop and community gardens, Grocoff said.

He hopes Veridian will have restaurants and schools with similar commitments to sustainability.

“Sustainability is being able to provide all of the services that you need within a local area,” Grocoff said.

A sustainable future means local communities that provide their own food, water and energy.

“It’s a neighborhood that should be attainable.”


Genevieve Fox wrote this article for Great Lakes Echo.


get more stories like this via email

Frankfort is one of a number of communities across Kentucky grappling with a deluge of flash flooding from torrential rainfall over the past several days. More than a foot of rain in some parts of the state has caused rivers to rise, leading to evacuations along the Kentucky River.

Emergency officials have asked Frankfort residents to keep conserving water while the city works to bounce back.

Layne Wilkerson, mayor of Frankfort, said three shelters remain open, and encouraged residents to call the city's hotline, at 502-352-2252, for nonemergency help.

"We have people standing by to answer any questions, to make sure you get to the right area, and we'll make sure that you're taken care of," Wilkerson emphasized.

All state offices were closed on Monday. The widespread flooding across central and western Kentucky has caused numerous roadway closures and has, so far, killed two people: a nine-year-old child was swept away by floodwaters in Frankfort and a Nelson County adult was found submerged in a car.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the weather event is not over until the waters have receded, until the flooded areas are fully dry and until the ground, which could create mudslides over roads and bridges, is no longer saturated.

"Do not drive through water. Do not move barricades," Beshear urged. "Because remember, if you do that, you're not just making a bad decision for yourself. You could cause the harm or even death to that next person that comes along."

The Ohio River at Louisville is at 64 feet, double its normal depth, and flood walls closed Friday in preparation. The Ohio River at Paducah is at 45 feet, higher than even during the February floods. The Kentucky River at Frankfort is also flooded at nearly 49 feet, much higher than its normal depths of less than 20 feet, according to the United States Geological Survey.

This story is based on original reporting by Sarah Ladd and Liam Niemeyer for the Kentucky Lantern.


get more stories like this via email

New Mexico conservation advocates say the state's budget awaiting the governor's signature would make great strides in addressing climate change and protecting public health.

Justin Garoutte, advocate, climate and energy with the group Conservation Voters New Mexico, highlighted 21 bills awaiting the governor's signature that will protect air, land, water and wildlife resources. He said Senate Bill 48, known as the Community Benefit Fund, would be a groundbreaking investment in adapting to climate change through locally driven projects that strengthen communities and create jobs, including jobs for those employed in the extraction industry.

"So, helping workers in the oil and gas industry or other industries transition to more clean jobs - there's 17-million that's going to the workforce solutions department for clean-energy worker training," he explained.

SB 48, which passed by a vote of 39 to 26, would provide grants for infrastructure and clean energy projects that reduce pollution, improve resiliency against extreme weather, and enhance grid reliability in cities and towns across the state. The governor has until April 11th to approve spending for fiscal year 2026, which begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th next year.

Garoutte said with state guidance, individual communities could implement projects unique to their region, prioritizing rural and underserved communities.

"The end goal is ensuring that we as a state continue advancing to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change that we're feeling now, right? We have to adapt, we have to do mitigation efforts, and we just want to keep moving forward as a state when we don't see that at the federal level," he continued.

Legislation included in the next budget includes two transportation provisions. $60 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure for school districts and improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure are part of the spending plan.


get more stories like this via email

Large, energy-intense buildings used in Bitcoin mining, cloud computing and artificial intelligence data processing industries could become more common in West Virginia under legislation being considered by lawmakers.

Advocacy groups said high-impact data centers pose environmental and public health risks for communities.

Morgan King, climate and energy program manager for the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, pointed out Mingo, Mason and Tucker counties have already seen data center growth, along with an increased strain on natural resources. She added under House Bill 2014, such facilities would not be required to follow local zoning, land use or noise ordinances.

"These centers can take up anywhere from three to four square miles of land that will be repurposed for construction of these buildings for data centers," King explained. "Even more, they require an intense water use and energy use."

The bill would allow companies to develop independent energy grids using coal and gas. Supporters of the legislation, including West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, argued the bill would bring significant investment to the state.

The bill places no limits on how much of the water supply these facilities can draw upon. King noted in neighboring Virginia, some data centers are using nearly a million gallons of water a day.

"It doesn't put any restrictions on the facility, which could have an impact on local water resources," King emphasized. "It also requires that the power generation of coal throughout the state be remaining at a 69% base load."

She added there is increased exposure to light and sound pollution for residents and disruption of wildlife habitats.

"One of these centers is posed for Tucker County, right outside of Davis, that's in one of the most beautiful natural areas of the state," King observed. "If we put a data center in there, it's going to create a lot of noise and light pollution that will impact local ecosystems."

Energy experts are concerned data centers could lead to higher electricity bills for Mountain State households, and worsen communities' climate change resilience.


get more stories like this via email