We support a move made by the Ishpeming City Council last week designed to make the city more energy efficient.

Under a memo of understanding approved by the panel, City Manager Mark Slown and Michael Larson, office manager at Michigan Energy Options’ Marquette office, will work together to identify the city’s current energy use and needs and develop a project – to be implemented by September – that will increase the efficiency of that energy use.

The work will take place as part of a Community Energy Manager Pilot project created by the Michigan Energy Office and financed through the Michigan Strategic Fund. Ishpeming was one of five communities in the state selected.

According to information in the pilot’s Request for Proposals, a total of $80,000 in grant funds was made available for the program.

Michigan Energy Options’ portion of that grant will go toward its work with Ishpeming, Houghton and an as-yet-unnamed third U.P. city.

A recent study found that although the U.S. has just 5 percent of the world’s population, we’re consuming 25 percent of its resources.

Put another way, all of us need to use less of everything, including and perhaps, especially, energy.

Ishpeming is on the right track with this program.