2026 Public Power Candidate Scorecard

Ward 5 Candidates

Overall Score

Jenn Cornell:‍ ‍C

Greg Monroe:‍‍ ‍B

1. Independence from DTE and Private Utility-Affiliated Money

Has the candidate ever accepted contributions from DTE Energy, DTE-affiliated PACs, or known utility front groups?

  • No, and the candidate has made a public commitment not to accept such contributions in the future

  • No, the candidate has not accepted such contributions

  • Yes, but contributions were returned or publicly disavowed

  • Yes, contributions were accepted and retained

Jenn Cornell | A

  • No, and the candidate has made a public commitment not to accept such contributions in the future

I have never and will never take corporate or utility PAC-affiliated money.

Greg Monroe | A

  • No, and the candidate has made a public commitment not to accept such contributions in the future

  • No, the candidate has not accepted such contributions

I have taken absolutely zero PAC money, let alone from DETA or Private Utilities.  We run a grassroots campaign with support from people. 

2. Public Commitment to Municipal / Public Power

Has the candidate publicly stated support for municipalization in Ann Arbor?

  • Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting public power.

  • Yes. The candidate's platform includes public power and utility accountability.

  • No.

Jenn Cornell | ‍F

  • No.

Greg Monroe |‍ ‍C

  • No.

This is my position on municipal power and I am happy to state this publicly and on my website, but I haven't yet at this time:

I am for the fastest transition to clean, renewable energy for our city.  I have observed as a lifelong Michigander numerous efforts from DTE and other private utilities to stymie that transition. 

I am for representative democracy first and foremost.  Current council voted to keep Public Power off the ballot. They also voted to stop the Second Feasibility study.  I am in favor of both.  Put it on the ballot.  Council should direct a second feasibility study.

I am for solutions that decrease the cost of electric bills for residents in Ann Arbor and beyond and I eagerly await the an Ann Arbor Municipal Power Board and the Second Feasibility Study that will demonstrate how we can achieve that through public power.

Another compelling argument for public power is that Ann Arbor is not a unicorn in this domain.  I think many skeptics will be surprised to learn that many of our neighboring cities have a public power utility: Chelsea, Wyandotte and Lansing just to name a few.

Note from A2P2: Candidate has expressed support for public power

3. Public Commitment to 2026 Ann Arbor Public Power Ballot Initiative

Has the candidate publicly expressed support for placing or advancing a public power ballot initiative in Ann Arbor?

  • Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting the 2026 Ann Arbor for Public Power ballot initiative.

  • Yes. The candidate’s platform includes public power and utility accountability, generally.

  • No.

Jenn Cornell | ‍F

  • Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting the 2026 Ann Arbor for Public Power ballot initiative.

I have circulated petitions while on doors and have had public power petitions at events I've sponsored where I have encouraged folks to sign it.

Greg Monroe |‍ ‍F

  • No

I support the principle of public power, but I am concerned by the undefined financial path and prospective litigation costs attached to the current A2P2 charter amendment.

I am a lifelong Michigander. I know DTE has fundamentally failed Ann Arbor and beyond. Our residents are trapped in a cycle of chronic outages, skyrocketing rates, and decades of corporate underinvestment. The status quo is entirely unacceptable. Ann Arbor absolutely deserves an energy future defined by democratic accountability and community control rather than shareholder profits.

To achieve that future, City Council should have commissioned a comprehensive, independent study long ago to determine the true acquisition costs and legal realities of a public buyout. Establishing a municipal utility board before completing this rigorous feasibility study may put the cart before the horse. True progressive leadership requires balancing budgets while protecting important community programs—a principle I consistently practice as President of the Library Board. Moving forward with structural charter changes without a clear financial roadmap risks consuming the very resources needed to run our city. That is not fiscally responsible.

I want Ann Arbor to own its energy future, but we must do so with our eyes wide open. Right now, I am focused on deploying the tools that deliver the fastest, most equitable relief. Our Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) is a phenomenal model—an opt-in public utility that runs in parallel with DTE—allowing us to build localized renewable generation and real climate resilience right now, without waiting years for DTE litigation or purchasing failing infrastructure with taxpayer dollars. We should scale immediate solutions like the SEU while commissioning an independent, data-driven feasibility study to give our community the factual foundation required to pursue full public power responsibly.

4. Track Record on Energy Justice, Affordability, and Reliability

In their past votes, advocacy, or community work, has the candidate actively supported policies that advance:

  • Energy affordability

  • Protection against electricity shutoffs

  • Grid reliability

  • Energy equity for low-income residents

  • Reforms that limit the role of investor-owned utility money in elections and policymaking

  • Ann Arbor’s stated A2Zero goal to achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030

  • None of the above

Note: Due to an inability to thoroughly research every candidate’s track record, the scores for question 4 are omitted. Candidate responses are still provided.

Jenn Cornell

  • Energy affordability

  • Protection against electricity shutoffs

  • Grid reliability

  • Energy equity for low-income residents

  • Reforms that limit the role of investor-owned utility money in elections and policymaking

  • Ann Arbor’s stated A2Zero goal to achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030

I voted to establish Ann Arbor’s first Sustainable Energy Utility, a nationally-recognized initiative to deliver green, affordable electricity to residents. I also helped establish a new Sustainability Commission to empower climate and energy experts in our community to support accomplishing Ann Arbor’s A2Zero goals.

Greg Monroe

  • None of the above

I support advancing all of these initiatives.

5. Track Record on Data Centers

Does the candidate publicly endorse a moratorium on large-scale data centers and/or has the candidate actively supported policies to stop the construction of such data centers in their past votes, advocacy, or community work?

  • Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting a data center moratorium.

  • Yes. The candidate’s platform includes a moratorium on data centers.

  • Yes. The candidate has actively supported such policies

  • Mixed. Some advocacy or policy work has been against data centers and some has been in favor.

  • No.

Jenn Cornell |‍ ‍C

  • Yes. The candidate has actively supported such policies.

While I don’t think we’ll see data centers in Ann Arbor, I am concerned about the environmental impacts and the harm to our neighbors without thorough, transparent processes.

Greg Monroe |‍‍ ‍A

  • Yes. The candidate has actively supported such policies.

This is a no brainer for me. I support an immediate moratorium on large scale data center construction.

Happy to add this to my website as well.