Stellantis in Auburns Hills and DTE Energy in Detroit today announced a clean energy commitment to add 400 megawatts of new solar projects in Michigan — enough clean energy to power approximately 130,000 homes annually — through DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program.
The companies state the clean energy commitment is the second largest renewable energy purchase ever made in the U.S. from a utility and will avoid more than 670,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“While this day and this historic agreement are about clean and efficient power, I’d like to suggest that today is also about the power of partnerships in this new era of sustainable mobility,” says Mark Stewart, COO of Stellantis North America.
“Our success — indeed our survival — will depend more and more on how completely we embrace the values of collaboration and partnership as strategic imperatives that help us achieve breakthrough business outcomes. This agreement is an outstanding example of how truly great companies like DTE Energy and Stellantis can unleash their passion and expertise to shape a more sustainable world for our customers and our communities.”
Earlier this year, Stellantis announced aggressive goals to achieve carbon net zero globally by 2038 as part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, beginning by cutting CO2 emissions in half by the end of the decade, using 2021 metrics as the benchmark. The company’s push to net zero addresses all sources of greenhouse gas emissions, from vehicles to supply chain to industrial and sites, with energy efficiency being a cornerstone of Stellantis’ approach.
With its participation in MIGreenPower, Stellantis will be able to attribute 100 percent of its electricity use at 70 southeast Michigan sites to solar by 2026, which will reduce the company’s carbon emissions in North America by 50 percent and across its manufacturing facilities by 30 percent.
DTE’s MIGreenPower program is among the largest voluntary renewable energy programs in the country. To date, the company has more than 800 businesses enrolled in the program along with more than 75,000 residential customers. On an annual basis, MIGreenPower customers have enrolled 4 million megawatt hours of clean energy in the program, which has the environmental benefit equivalent to avoiding more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“We want to thank Stellantis for being a great partner, for joining MIGreenPower and for supporting the development of new solar energy projects here in Michigan,” says Jerry Norcia, chairman and CEO of DTE Energy.
“Investments like this accelerate our state’s transition to clean energy, create jobs and strengthen our state’s economy. Adding 400 megawatts of new solar for Stellantis will result in a cleaner environment for Michigan families, communities, and businesses, and create hundreds of jobs during project construction.”
DTE is Michigan’s largest producer of and investor in renewable energy and is committed to transitioning to cleaner sources of energy. In its CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan filed last month with the Michigan Public Service Commission, DTE proposed increasing investment in solar and wind energy, accelerating the retirement of coal plants, and investing in the development of new energy storage — all reinforcing DTE’s commitment to cleaner energy.
If the new plan is approved, the company will add more than 15,000 megawatts of new renewable energy projects over the next two decades.
