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 MWh of wind energy in Michigan.
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.
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. Ford Motor Co. recently announced a similar agreement.
“Investing in renewable energy remains an important part of GM’s vision for a zero-emissions future,” says Rob Threlkeld, global manager of sustainable energy and supply reliability for GM.
To date, GM has contracted or invested in a total of 1.71 TWh of clean energy in North America.
“Our partnership with DTE Energy will help us get closer to achieving our goal of powering all our operations in Michigan with 100 percent clean energy,” Threlkeld continues. “It helps demonstrate that local and regional industry partnerships are paramount to GM’s clean energy future, where renewable sources will account for 100 percent of our global energy footprint by 2050.”
DTE will begin sourcing to GM once the first new projects are online.
“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,” states Trevor F. Lauer, president and chief operating officer of 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’s reaching 20% of its global energy supply from renewables. GM is a member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance and an early signatory of RE100, a collaborative global initiative uniting businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.
