Ford Announces Purchase of 650MW of Solar Energy from DTE Energy

Through a new clean energy agreement, DTE Energy will add 650 megawatts of new solar energy capacity in Michigan for Ford Motor Co. by 2025, bringing the Dearborn automaker closer to its goal of carbon neutrality. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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modern farm with a lot of solar panels in the rural landscape
Ford has purchased 650 megawatts of solar energy from DTE Energy, which will require new infrastructure to support, creating an estimated 250 part time and 10 full time jobs. // Stock Photo

Through a new clean energy agreement, DTE Energy will add 650 megawatts of new solar energy capacity in Michigan for Ford Motor Co. by 2025, bringing the Dearborn automaker closer to its goal of carbon neutrality. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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 the Bloomberg NEF New Energy Outlook.

According to data collected by the Solar Energy Industries Association, once installed, the arrays will increase the total amount of installed solar energy in Michigan by nearly 70 percent.

“This unprecedented agreement is all about a greener and brighter future for Ford and for Michigan,” says Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford. “Today is an example of what it looks like to lead — to turn talk into action.”

DTE estimates that the construction of the solar arrays will create 250 temporary jobs and 10 permanent jobs. Local communities that host DTE’s renewable energy projects also benefit from the additional tax revenue these projects generate. The revenue can be used for community support services including roads, schools, libraries, and first responders.

“We want to congratulate Ford Motor Co. for its environmental leadership and commitment to clean energy,” says Jerry Norcia, chairman and CEO of 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 using MIGreenPower to help decarbonize its operations and meet its sustainability goals.”

To date, DTE has more than 600 businesses enrolled in the program along with 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.

Ford manufactures more vehicles in the U.S. and employs more hourly workers in America than any other automaker, and was one of the first U.S. automakers to align with the international community to limit the impacts of global warming as part of the Paris Agreement.

Michigan has been home to Ford 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.

For more information on DTE’s MIGreenPower program, please visit migreenpower.com.