Through a new clean energy agreement with DTE Energy, Ford Motor Company will soon attribute all its electricity supply in Michigan to clean energy, marking a major step toward the OEM's goal to reach carbon neutrality. As part of the agreement announced on August 10, DTE will add 650 megawatts of new solar energy capacity in Michigan for Ford by 2025. The purchase is a strategic investment in Michigan through DTE’s MIGreenPower program, and is the largest renewable energy purchase ever made in the U.S. from a utility, based on Bloomberg NEF New Energy Outlook. Once installed, the arrays will increase the total amount of installed solar energy in Michigan by nearly 70%, according to the announcement.
“We want to congratulate Ford Motor Company for its environmental leadership and commitment to clean energy,” said Jerry Norcia, chairman and CEO, DTE Energy. “Ford was the first large industrial customer to enroll in our MIGreenPower program in 2019, and we thank Ford for its continued commitment ... to help decarbonize its operations and meet its sustainability goals.”
MIGreenPower is among the largest voluntary renewable energy programs in the country. To date, it has more than 600 businesses enrolled and more than 62,000 residential customers. On an annual basis, MIGreenPower customers have enrolled 2.8 million megawatt hours of clean energy in the program, which has the environmental benefit equivalent to avoiding 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the announcement said. DTE plans to add thousands of megawatts of new clean energy projects to support the program.
“I want to congratulate DTE Energy and Ford Motor Company for taking this significant step to increase our state’s solar energy production and to position Michigan as a leader in climate action,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Efforts like this are the reason Michigan had the best job growth for energy-sector jobs in the country last year, which will help to advance our state’s decarbonization goals, create good-paying jobs and strengthen our economy. As outlined in our state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, we must take immediate, tangible steps to mitigate climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so we can achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. Steps like this collaboration between Ford and DTE are helping to move our entire state forward, building on our automotive legacy while protecting clean air and water for future generations.”
Michigan has been Ford's home since its founding in 1903. Since 2016, Ford has invested nearly $10 billion in Michigan and created or retained more than 10,000 jobs. This includes refurbishing Michigan Central Station, developing a new Ford Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn, creating Ford’s Ion Park in Romulus, and more.
