As a major step in its mission to slash greenhouse gas emissions from its plants worldwide, Ford Motor Company penned an agreement with DTE Energy a few years ago. DTE has now officially broken ground on its 100-megawatt solar array near Coldwater, Michigan, which will provide a notable amount of power to FoMoCo in its quest to achieve 100 percent carbon-free and renewable energy to its Michigan-based facilities.
Ford has purchased 650 megawatts of renewable energy from the DTE CleanVision MIGreenPower program – the largest purchase from a utility in U.S. history. That impressive figure is facilitated by MiGreenPower’s network of Michigan-based renewable energy sources, which includes solar and wind parks, including the new facility in Coldwater.
Ford’s enrollment in MIGreenPower will help the company cut back on as much as 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. The partnership also ensures that Ford is that much closer to its goal of sourcing power from local renewable energy programs.
“We’re excited to be on this clean energy journey with Ford to fulfill its electricity needs with affordable, Michigan-made renewable energy,” said Matt Paul, president and chief operating officer, DTE Electric, in a press release. “Our customers – whether they are large manufacturers like Ford, or hometown businesses, or families – are telling us they want more renewable energy, and we will continue to develop and deliver it to them.”
“Thanks to this strategic investment with DTE, Ford will soon be able to attribute all of our electricity supply in Michigan to clean energy,” said Amir Mirshahi, director of Utilities and Energy Infrastructure at Ford. “This partnership is proof of Ford’s unwavering commitment to transitioning to clean energy and aligns us with our sustainability objectives. It represents a significant step toward our goal of achieving carbon neutrality and will also help make our local Michigan communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.”
Ford’s renewable energy quest extends across the pond, too. Ford UK headquarters commissioned the installation of a new solar farm capable of generating more than 5,000 MWh of electricity each year.
Comments
I wonder how many trees they had to clear cut to put in the ugly Chinese glass solar array? 🤦🏼♂️
Far too many! What a hideous waste of money and land!
Green Power in Michigan, Please? What are they thinking? in the winter months, October – April their wonderful chinese glass array only make 30% of the power that is possible. Michigan is grey, dark, and cloudy 70+ % of the time during these months. Solar wipes out acres or land that would have been used productively, and destroys the soil one the solar arrays are removed.