WAYNE, Mich. – Ford Motor Company plans to power all of its Michigan facilities using solar energy from DTE Energy by 2025, the company announced Wednesday.
Ford has purchased 650 megawatts of solar energy capacity from DTE Energy, and they are expected to be operational by 2025. The purchase was made through DTE’s MIGreenPower program, and will expand Michigan’s solar energy production, increasing the number of installed solar energy by nearly 70% in the state, officials said.
The purchase will also reportedly benefit communities hosting the renewable energy products through any additional tax revenue those products generate. That revenue can be used for “community support services including roads, schools, libraries and first responders,” according to a press release.
Ford says the move is part of its effort to become carbon neutral. The Michigan-based automotive company plans for all Ford vehicles built in Michigan to be “assembled with the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity” by 2025.
“I want to congratulate DTE Energy and Ford Motor Company for taking this significant step to increase our state’s solar energy production and to position Michigan as a leader in climate action,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Efforts like this are the reason Michigan had the best job growth for energy-sector jobs in the country last year, which will help to advance our state’s decarbonization goals, create good-paying jobs and strengthen our economy. As outlined in our state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, we must take immediate, tangible steps to mitigate climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so we can achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. Steps like this collaboration between Ford and DTE are helping to move our entire state forward, building on our automotive legacy while protecting clean air and water for future generations.”
The company is one of many to shift their primary focus to the development and production of electric vehicles. The company announced last month that it has contracts to deliver enough batteries to produce electric vehicles at a rate of 600,000 globally per year by late 2023.
In March, the company split itself in two, with half of the corporate office focusing on electric vehicles under the name Ford+.
You can watch Ford’s live Wednesday announcement in the video player below.