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Most new renewable energy projects take the form of massive wind or solar farms. Ann Arbor, Michigan, is trying something different: a new city-owned utility is building a local power network within city limits, made up of solar microgrids and geothermal energy installed at homes and businesses. Theyre creating a whole new model of energy delivery for a city, says Mike Shriberg, a professor at University of Michigans School for Environment and Sustainability who lives in Ann Arbor. The new utility wont replace the areas existing power company, DTE Energy. But it will help the city move much faster toward zero-carbon power. When Ann Arbora city of 122,000, with a $550 million dollar annual budgetset a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030, it knew that the electric grid would be a challenge. DTE Energy doesnt plan to reach 100% clean power until 2050, and the companys definition of clean still includes some fossil gas. As the city researched options to accelerate the grids transition to renewables, it recognized the value of a distributed network with more rooftop solar. But the existing power company wasnt interested in moving in that direction. When we came up with a concept, we reached out to the utility and said, Would you be interested in doing that?, says Missy Stults, director of sustainability and innovations for the city. And the answer was no. And our response was, okay, well, then we will. The advantage of a local, distributed system The first advantage of building locally: if power comes from your own roof or your neighbor’s roof instead of traveling long distances, the system is more resilient. “The most vulnerable part of our energy system is the distribution network poles and wires,” says Stults. “That’s what a tree falls on and takes out. It’s not generation. So instead of relying on generating our energy in a faraway place that has to move across vulnerable distribution networks, why not focus on generating it in our own community? That’s more resilient. That’s more reliable.” Building large-scale solar and wind farms is also a long process. Getting permits can take years. The wait to get connected to the grid, called the interconnection queue, can also sometimes take five years or more. The Trump administration is also trying to slow down clean energy even more. And just finding the land can also be difficult. “We have more and more challenge in finding places to do large-scale,” Stults says. “We need to start thinking about all of the assets we already have.” Traditional investor-owned utilities don’t have much incentive to build distributed renewable energy. “They make more money when they build a bigger, centralized power plant,” says Shriberg. Regulated utilities make profits based on a rate of return on their capital investments. “The incentive structure for a city is completely different because you’re looking at sustainability and [consumer] costs and reliability as a driver,” he says. Of course, trying to scale up solar on tens of thousands of rooftops is also challenging. But because there’s no cost to homeownersthe city will own the solar panels and other equipmentthe city already has a long list of residents who want to participate. A new type of utility Ann Arbor calls the new system a “sustainable energy utility” or SEU. A few other cities use the same name in different waysD.C., for example, has a sustainable energy utility that focuses on helping improve efficiency. Ann Arbor will also help residents and businesses become more efficient. But its approach to adding new power generation is new. The city also considered the idea of a public utility that could fully replace the existing for-profit power company. But that approach would have been slower and more expensive. The city would have had to invest in the utility’s aging, unreliable distribution system. With the old system, “we have frequent blackouts,” says Shriberg. “It’s a distribution system that’s not working very well. And Ann Arbor determined that they want to build the energy grid of the future. They do not want to acquire the energy grid of the past and then be responsible for maintaining it. So this allows a quick way to do thatto build a new grid and a new system without the responsibilities of maintaining the outdated one.” Residents will still have access to the old utility, but can sign up to also be part of the sustainable energy utility. The city has calculated that the switch will save residents money on bills. If someone already has solar panels, they can start selling the power to the new utility and will have the option to let the city add new equipment, like a battery or more panels. (The monthly electric bill for people with battery storage will be higher, but still less than investing in a generator.) Others can sign up to get solar for the first time. The city will build microgrids in neighborhoods. As more local power is added, it will travel shorter distancesa wire could go from one house to the next. “You would be able to sell to the SEU and it would go literally to your neighbor,” says Stults. The race to 2030 In November 2024, citizens voted to create the new sustainable energy utility, approving the measure with nearly 80% support. (Michigan law helped make the change easier: the state’s constitution allows cities to create their own utilities.) In April, the organization was formally established, and last week the city welcomed its first executive director to lead it. Now, the new utility is raising financing to begin building its infrastructure. Right now, residents who want to participate can sign up for a waiting list. The city expects to begin installing new solar next year. A geothermal network is also in planning. For those who don’t want to wait for solar, the city is exploring the idea of recommending specific equipment that property owners could buy now, with the expectation that they could sell it to the city next year when the full system rolls out. Ann Arbor’s municipal buildings currently run on around 70% renewable electricity; the city as a whole runs on around 30% renewables. As the new utility races to add new renewable power, it’s unlikely to get all the way to 100% renewable electricity by the end of the decade. (The gap will be filled by buying offsets that are carefully selected to add new renewables in other areas that particularly need it.) But it’s a way to dramatically speed up the transition. Current anti-climate federal policy isn’t helping. But renewable energy is still the cheapest option for new energy. And Stults says that the city has no choice than to move as quickly as possible. “Humans are doing the largest experiment we’ve ever done, in terms of what we’re doing with our climate,” she says. “There simply is no other alternative than to move towards the clean energy future. We’re going to have to solve for this. It’s a bummer that we have another roadblock in our way but it’s never been easy from day one. So we’ll get it, and we’ll find a path for it, because I don’t think there’s alternatives.”
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We all know that traditional mentorssenior professionals who take an interest in you and your futurecan help in the job search. They have extensive experience, know the terrain, and are likely far better connected than you are. But finding a mentor isnt easyand even if you do have one, it may not be enough to help you in the current job market. With nearly a quarter of recent college grads currently unemployed, its important to think creatively about how to get the support you need to meet the current momentand one overlooked resource is the support of peer mentors. In our researchAlexis as a developmental psychologist focused on college to career transitions and Dorie as a corporate adviser and keynote speakerweve identified the importance of finding mirror mentors: peers who know you well and can offer personal guidance and insight as you look for your next job. By cultivating a small “mentor pod” of peers who are also looking for work, you can help each other think creatively about your goals and job options, polish your materials together, and provide emotional support along the wayindependent of whether you have access to a traditional mentor or not. Indeed, in some aspects, mirror mentors may even be more useful to you. Traditional mentors are typically in demand senior professionals who are unlikely to have the time or bandwidth to provide emotional support or get to know you on as deep a level as your friends. Here are three ways weve found that peer mentors can be transformative in your job search journey. 1. Sourcing opportunities Its common knowledge that most people rely on their social network to help them in their job search. But whats less appreciated is that friends and acquaintancesin addition to vouching for you when you apply for jobs where they have a connectioncan also surface job openings that were never on your radar in the first place. For instance, there might be an internal job board at their company, so theyre able to tip you off about new openings. Indeed, the “hidden job market“roles that never appear on public job boardscan account for up to 70% of open positions, so relying on your social network to help source open positions is key. Peer mentors can also be on the lookout for relevant public job postings; Alexis alerted one friend to a job posting on LinkedIn that was perfect for her. Somehow, the friend had never seen it, but she applied and ultimately landed the role.Your “mirror mentors” can also expand your sense of whats possible by introducing you to new connections in your desired field or company, or by suggesting roles in adjacent fields that may suit your skill set (you may have been intent on a career in journalism, but hadnt considered PR, wheredepending on the positionyou can be paid to create in-depth narrative works paid for by a company or organization). A shared Google Doc noting your nonnegotiables (e.g., I need to stay in New York) and your aspirations (e.g., Id like to hone my storytelling skills) offers an easy way to identify and share links with your posse of peer mentors and crowdsource information during the search process. 2. Providing tactical help Peer mentors dont just offer support: they can also provide hands-on, tactical assistance that you might otherwise have to pay for. Trusted friends in your job search circle might review your résumé or LinkedIn profile to ensure its relevant for your desired field and conveys your professionalism and expertise. One of Alexiss students formed a WhatsApp group to check in with fellow job-seeking classmates and called it a game-changer for getting feedback when preparing cover letters and getting ready for interviews. And once youre offered a position, your mirror mentors can be invaluable when it comes to negotiating your package and closing the deal. One recent graduate was torn after receiving a job offer with a salary far below what she expected. She was tempted to accept given the financial challenges she was facing, but her friends wouldnt let her undersell herself. They helped crowdsource comparison salaries to confirm that this offer was atypically low; one friend even helped her craft an email to turn the offer down and sat with her as she hit send. Saying no felt risky at the time, but with the support of her peer mentors, she soon landed another, more lucrative offer. 3. Offering encouragementand accountability Mirror mentors are also key to helping you recognize your own potential. When self-doubt creeps in, they can remind you of your strengths and encourage you to think bigger. One of our colleagues found a job that aligned perfectly with her interests and experienceexcept she fell short of the exact number of years of experience they noted in the job description. Like many on the job marketespecially womenshe initially ruled herself out and decided not to apply. But when she shared her disappointment with a friend, the response was simple and powerful: Always put your name in. Rejection is hardbut dont reject yourself. That shift in mindset gave her the confidence to apply. Though the company ultimately did not hire anyone due to budget cuts, she felt empowered to apply for “reach” jobs moving forward. Just as important as encouragement is the accountability that peer mentors can provide; when your job search starts to drag and it feels like nothing is working, together, you can remind each other to persevere and keep networking and applying until the right opportunity emerges for you both. Job searches are never easyespecially in these complex timesbut when you have a group of peers who are supporting you, it becomes easier to find and land your dream job. Surround yourself with mirror mentors who know your strengths, introduce you to new opportunities, and refuse to let you settle for less than you deserve. In a market this competitive, your best advantage might just be the people sitting beside you in the trenches.
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E-Commerce
When ChatGPT went viral, leadership teams rushed to understand it, but their employees had already beat them to the chase. Workers were already experimenting with AI tools behind the scenes, using them to summarize notes, automate tasks, and hit performance goals with limited resources. What started as a productivity shortcut has evolved into a new workplace norm. According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, three in four employees are using AI at workand nearly 80% of AI users at small and medium-size companies are bringing their own tools into the workplace; that number is 78% for larger organizations. These tools range from text generators, such as ChatGPT, to automation platforms and AI-powered design software. This bottom-up phenomenon is known as Bring Your Own AI, or BYOAI. It mirrors the early days of “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies , when employees began using their personal smartphones and laptops for work tasksoften before employers had protocols in place to manage them. Those policies eventually evolved to address security, data privacy, and access control concerns. But with BYOAI, the stakes are even higher. Instead of physical devices, employees are introducing algorithms into workflowsalgorithms that weren’t vetted by IT, compliance, or legal. And in today’s fast-moving regulatory climate, that can create serious risk: Almost half of employees using AI at work admitted they were doing so inappropriately, such as trusting all answers AI gives without checking them, or entrusting it with sensitive information. The BYOAI trend is not a fringe behavior or a passing tech fad. Its a fast-growing reality in modern workplaces, driven by overworked employees, under-resourced teams, and the growing accessibility of powerful AI tools. Without policies or oversight, workers are taking matters into their own hands, often using tools their employers are unaware of. And while the intention may be productivity, this can expose companies to data leaks and other security problems. The Compliance Gap Is Widening Whether it’s a marketing team inputting customer data into a chatbot, or an operations lead automating workflows with plug-ins, these tools can quietly open the door to privacy violations, biased decisions, and operational breakdown. Nearly six in ten employees say theyve made mistakes at work due to AI errors, and many are using it improperly (57% admit errors, 44% knowingly misuse it). Yet, according to a 2024 report from Deloitte that surveyed organizations on the cutting edge of AI, only 23% of these organizations reported feeling highly prepared to manage AI-related risks. And only 6%, according to KPMG, had a dedicated team focused on evaluating AI risk and implementing guardrails. “When employees use external AI services without the knowledge of their employers . . . we tend to think about risks like data loss, intellectual property leaks, copyright violations, [and] security breaches,” says Allison Spagnolo, chief privacy officer and senior managing director at Guidepost Solution, a company that specializes in investigations, regulatory compliance, and security consulting. How forward-thinking companies are getting ahead Some organizations are starting to respondnot by banning AI, but by working to empower employees to use AI. According to the Deloitte report, 43% of organizations that use AI invest in internal AI audits, 37% train users to recognize and mitigate risks, and 33% keep a formal inventory of how gen AI is used, so managers can lead with clarity, not confusion. Meanwhile, Salesforce provides employees with secure, approved AI tools, like Slack AI and Einstein that integrate with internal data systems, while maintaining strict boundaries on sensitive data use and offering regular training. The company also has a framework for advising other companies on how to develop their own AI internal use policy. “The best strategy is actually to open up those lines of communication with employees,” says Reena Richtermeyer, partner at CM Law PLLC, a boutique firm that advises clients on emerging technology issues. She says employers shouldnt say no to AI, but instead provide employees with guardrails, parameters, and training. For example, maybe employers ask employees only to use public data and slice out data that is proprietary, trade secret, or customer-related.” BYOAI isnt going away BYOAI isn’t just a tech trend. It’s a leadership challenge. Managers now find themselves overseeing both human and machine output, often without formal training on how to manage this combination effectively. They must decide when AI is appropriate, how to evaluate its use, and ensure that both ethical and performance standards are maintained. Companies are best served by shifting from reactive policies to proactive cultures. Employees need clear communication about what is safe, what is off-limits, and where to go for guidance. “I think having a dedicated AI acceptable use policy is really helpful . . . you can tell your employees exactly what the expectations are, what the risks are if they go outside of that policy, and what the consequences are,” says Spagnolo. The companies that will gain the most from AI are the ones that understand how to empower their employees to use AI and innovate with it. That requires leaders to shift from asking employees: Are you using AI? to “How can we support you to use it well?”
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E-Commerce
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