Partnership to Upgrade Michigan Town's Energy Infrastructure

Cadillac, Michigan, is upgrading energy systems at seven city buildings, including city hall and the wastewater treatment plant, through a deal with Schneider Electric and Budderfly, an energy-as-a-service provider. Budderfly is putting up about $4.4 million for the work, so the city pays nothing upfront. Instead, Cadillac will cover the cost over time using the money it saves on energy bills. The city council approved the plan in late July.

The upgrades include solar power, battery storage, new HVAC and lighting systems, electric vehicle charging, and microgrid technology that can keep essential services like water treatment and emergency response running during power outages. Schneider Electric will also add monitoring and automation tools to track and manage energy use across the buildings.

This is a municipal project, not a homeowner program, so it will not directly affect what you can do at your own house. But it points to a financing approach — pay-as-you-save through energy cost reductions, with no money down — that is becoming more common for efficiency upgrades. It also reflects a broader push nationally to make buildings more resilient to power outages and rising energy costs, driven partly by aging infrastructure and extreme weather. If your own utility or state offers similar no-upfront-cost financing for home upgrades like solar, battery storage, or efficient heating and cooling equipment, it may be worth checking what is available where you live.