As part of its commitment to increasing its renewable energy footprint globally and finding clean energy solutions near its operations, General Motors Co. has partnered with DTE Energy for 300,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of wind energy in the state of Michigan.
GM says it will use DTE’s MIGreenPower program to source enough wind energy to power 100% of its center’s power needs in Warren and Detroit, Michigan. Learn more about MIGreenPower here.
Once complete, the energy sourced will be enough to power 100% of the electricity needs of GM’s global technical center in Warren and its Detroit-based operations at the Renaissance Center. That’s 300,000 MWh, which is equivalent to the amount of power consumed by nearly 30,000 U.S. households per year.
To date, GM has contracted or invested in a total of 1.71 terawatt-hours of clean energy power in North America, equivalent to more than 145,000 households and more than any other automaker in the region. GM will source the wind power through an agreement with DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower, a renewable energy program that enables DTE customers to attribute up to 100% of their energy use to DTE clean energy projects in Michigan.
In January 2019, DTE received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission to offer a MIGreenPower program designed for major Michigan corporations and industrial companies who want access to more renewable energy to meet corporate sustainability goals.
“Investing in renewable energy remains an important part of GM’s vision for a zero emissions future,” said Rob Threlkeld, global manager of Sustainable Energy and Supply Reliability for General Motors. “Our partnership with DTE Energy will help us get closer to achieving our goal of powering all our operations in Michigan with 100% clean energy. It helps demonstrate that local and regional industry partnerships are paramount to GM’s clean energy future, where renewable sources will account for 100% of our global energy footprint by 2050.”
DTE plans to build or acquire additional clean energy projects and expand MIGreenPower to meet increasing customer demand. It will begin sourcing to GM once the first new projects are on line. As the state’s largest producer of renewable energy, DTE will more than double its renewable energy generation capacity, investing an additional $2 billion in wind and solar by 2024.
As part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80% by 2050, DTE is significantly increasing the amount of clean energy in its generation portfolio.
“Knowing that access to more renewable energy is important to our largest corporate and industrial customers, DTE will continue to expand MIGreenPower to help customers meet their sustainability targets,” said Trevor F. Lauer, president and COO, DTE Electric. “We appreciate GM’s environmental leadership and are excited that we can partner with them through MIGreenPower to deliver on their clean energy goals.”
The MIGreenPower agreement comes on the heels of GM reaching 20% of its global energy supply from renewables. GM is a member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) and an early signatory of RE100, a collaborative global initiative uniting influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity, working to increase demand for and delivery of renewable energy.
“Our 100% renewable energy commitment, along with our pursuit of electrified vehicles and responsible manufacturing, is part of GM’s approach to strengthening its business, improving communities and addressing climate change,” said Threlkeld.
Filed Under: News, Policy
