In 2022, Ford Motor Company joined DTE’s MIGreenPower program and agreed to the largest renewable energy purchase in the United States. Now, that commitment is helping bring more clean energy to Michigan.
This Thursday, DTE, Ford, and community leaders celebrated the new Cold Creek Solar Park, the first solar park made possible through Ford’s participation in MIGreenPower.
Cold Creek Solar can produce 100 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, which is the equivalent of powering more than 27,000 homes. This is an important step toward Ford’s goal of using 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. It also helps DTE move closer to its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions.
“Through our voluntary MIGreenPower program, this project is bringing more clean, renewable energy to Michigan’s electric grid,” said Ryan Thomas, director, Renewable Energy Development, DTE Energy. “It strengthens our diverse generation portfolio, supports the local community through jobs and tax revenue, and helps participating customers, like Ford, meet their own sustainability and clean energy goals. Most importantly, it shows what is possible when strong partners work together.”
Programs like MIGreenPower help speed up the development of renewable energy projects across the state. These projects bring more clean energy to the power grid while also creating local jobs and generating tax revenue for communities.
“Cold Creek Solar Park is now delivering on the promise we made when we broke ground on this project — clean, reliable energy for our Michigan operations and for the communities where we build our vehicles,” said Amir Mirshahi, director, Energy Infrastructure & Engineering, Ford Motor Company. “Projects like this strengthen the resiliency of the grid that our plants, our employees and our neighbors all depend on. Investments like Cold Creek are about more than meeting our own sustainability goals — they’re about being a good neighbor and a strong partner to the communities that support us.”
Today, DTE operates 20 wind parks and 36 solar parks across Michigan. Together, these facilities generate enough clean energy to power nearly 1 million homes; but there is still more work ahead. Projects like Cold Creek Solar Park will help Michigan reach its goal of getting 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2035.
As DTE celebrates the new Cold Creek Solar Park and the addition of 100 MW of renewable energy to the grid, the company looks forward to building even more clean energy projects in the future.
Are you a DTE Electric customer who wants to support more renewable energy in Michigan? Sign up for MIGreenPower at www.migreenpower.com.