Michigan utility DTE Energy has signed an agreement with automaker Ford to supply 650MW of solar PV to its operations in Michigan.
The agreement will transform Ford’s supply of electricity in Michigan into becoming 100% carbon-free by 2025, 10 years ahead of the company’s global goal.
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The strategic investment has been realised through the utility’s ‘MIGreenPower’ programme and will be the largest renewable energy purchase ever made in the US from a utility, according to DTE Energy.
So far 600 companies and more than 62,000 residential customers have signed up to the programme and have enrolled 2.8 million megawatt-hours of renewables.
Moreover, based on data the DTE Energy has collected from the trade body Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), once installed the 650MW solar project will increase the total solar capacity in Michigan by almost 70%.
Jerry Norcia, chairman and CEO at DTE Energy, said: “Ford was the first large industrial customer to enrol in our MIGreenPower programme in 2019 and we thank Ford for its continued commitment to using MIGreenPower to help decarbonise its operations and meet its sustainability goals.”
Even though Ford has not yet fully embraced the electric vehicle (EV) market, it is currently manufacturing it’s only all-electric model – the F-150 Lightning truck – in its Dearborn facility in Michigan, for which they partnered with storage provider Sunrun for the home charging systems.