Ford agrees 650-MW solar procurement in Michigan

US automaker Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) will procure 650 MW of solar from DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) in what the companies said today is the largest renewable energy purchase from a utility the US has ever seen.

Under the deal, by 2025 the energy company will add 650 MW of new solar capacity in Michigan for Ford, which is based in Dearborn. As a result, all Ford vehicles made in the state will be assembled with the equivalent of 100% green electricity by that year, 10 years earlier than the company’s global target.

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The agreement comes as part of DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy programme and is set to increase Michigan’s installed solar capacity by almost 70%.

“Ford was the first large industrial customer to enroll in our MIGreenPower program in 2019 and we thank Ford for its continued commitment to using MIGreenPower to help decarbonise its operations and meet its sustainability goals,” said DTE chairman and chief executive Jerry Norcia.

“This unprecedented agreement is all about a greener and brighter future for Ford and for Michigan,” commented Ford’s president and chief executive Jim Farley.