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DETROIT (FOX 2) - In one of the largest agreements of its kind, Ford and DTE will boost Michigan's renewable energy capacity by 70% and add hundreds of megawatts of solar power to the utilities grid.
The Dearborn automaker's purchase adds 650 megawatts through DTE's MiGreenPower program. The project means that by 2025, every Ford vehicle built in Michigan will be constructed using electricity that was generated from renewable power - which is 10 years earlier than the company's original goal.
According to a release on Ford's website, it's the "largest renewable energy purchase ever made in the U.S. from a utility."
The company also said it will avoid producing as much as 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
"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 decarbonize its operations and meet its sustainability goals," said Jerry Norcia, CEO of DTE Energy.
There's been no shortage of renewable energy and electric vehicle news this year. The U.S. Senate's passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last weekend is the most recent addition to a growing list of green energy efforts undertaken by government and business entities.
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Automakers in Michigan have announced dozens of new electric vehicles coming to market the past year-and-a-half. The companies have also announced agreements for more domestic manufacturing while Congress has passed legislation to incentivize the construction of semiconductor chips in the U.S.
"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," said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a statement. "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."