Two more cities have joined the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, bringing its municipal member ranks to five.

Madison Heights and Ferndale joined Roseville, Lincoln Park and Farmington Hills in the initiative Monday night.

The Michigan Suburbs Alliance, WARM Training Center, the Michigan Municipal League and SEMCOG launched the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office a year ago to help municipalities become more energy efficient and to adopt green technologies such as wind and solar power in an effort to help the region kick its Rust Belt image.

In early July, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance said interest in the new energy office initiative was increasing as local municipalities looked to stretch new funding for energy efficient improvements from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Article by Sherri Begin Welch of Crain’s Detroit Business.